Love, Hate, Hope
by ShineyStar
Summary: “Why?” Her question came out as a sob, but before she had time to run, a heavy body flew from nowhere, crashing into her fragile frame and sending her plummeting to the sand. - A lot can happen in 2 years, and Troy is about to do the unthinkable. TxG
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, this is going to be a fairly long author's note. **

**First off, I want to say a huge thank you to all of you guys have read my previous stories – your support means the world to me; and I am begging you, that if this story turns out to be absolutely awful, please, please don't loose faith in me! If I know it's not working, I will take it down, and try my hardest to make it work.**

**Also, I want to say a mammoth sized 'Thank you!" to Dani – she and I talked about this story a fair bit, and we both know it's going to be hard to write, but her support has been incredible, so THANKS Dani! You're my rock :)**

**This story is going to be a chaptered story (shock horror, it's**_** not **_**a one-shot?!) LOL I know that I always write one-shots, but this story is going to be my project now, and I am going to make it have chapters. How many, I'm not sure, but I don't think there will be no more than 5 – but we'll have to see how it is accepted by you amazing people first!**

**Okay, this story is loosely based on 'The Noughts and Crosses' book by Malorie Blackman. For those of you who have not read the book, you have not yet lived! It's utterly incredible, and is one of my absolute faves! For those of you who have read the book (It's the first book of a series), you're gonna understand the story more – and you people have amazing taste in books ;) lol**

**I am going to try by absolute hardest to make sure this story is not identical to the actual book, but the idea is going to be similar. I'm going to say now: The kidnapping of Sephy in the book is in my story, but I am gonna try and change most of the details to ensure that this story is not a complete and utter copy. **

**Going back to those who have read the book, don't worry, Troy's ending is NOT going to be the same as Callum's! I think would actually kill me to write anything as sad as that! For those of you who don't know who Callum McGregor is, he is one of the main characters in the book, and he is one of many characters I am insanely in love with! I cried for days after finishing the book! If at any point, any body wants me to explain the book to you, PM me, and I will gladly reply.**

**Okay, I think that AN was long enough! I'm trying to delay you guys from reading it, cuz I have been agonizing (and still am!) for days now! Please please please don't hate me if you guys think this story is too much like the book, but I swear down, it's not my intention!**

**(Also, the LM will be mentioned, but the name won't be the LM!)**

**Jeez, I really should stop but one final thing to point out – the subjects in the book were quite dark. They were: racism, discrimination, death, terrorism…) but my story won't be that dark – I don't think I am capable of writing that sort of stuff. Oh! And finally, this story is going to start from when (in the book) Sephy get's kidnapped by the LM!**

**Ugh, okay, stopping now! Promise!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, except the characters that have been invented by moi. **

**Love, Hate, Hope**

**Chapter One**

Darkness surrounded her petite frame as she sat motionless on the steel bed. How long had she been sitting here now? It felt like days, but it can't have been longer than a couple of hours. Cradling her murderously throbbing head in her hands, Gabriella Montez cried silently, the salty tears staining her cheeks that were flecked with mud, dirt and blood. Her blood.

How could have this have happened? It was completely unthinkable, utterly unthinkable. But…it was happening. Gabriella couldn't have blocked this out even if she tried. There was no way she would have been able to ignore the way her body was ablaze with furious pain; the cruel memories of hours before flashing repeatedly through her mind; the way he looked at her – regret shining to the depths of his cobalt eyes.

Gabriella's body shook uncontrollably as violent tears streamed from her puffy eyes as she remembered the way he had looked at her moments before a body lunged at her from nowhere, knocking her brutally to the sand, and a cold hand being pushed against her mouth to muffle her desperate screams.

The throbbing in her head intensified and Gabriella whimpered as she carefully leant back onto the bed, resting her bruised head against the pathetic piece of cloth that was laughably called a pillow. Gabriella laid in silence for what felt like days, and her tears slowly subsided, finally allowing her tired eyes to flutter closed as the horrifying events of the past hours finally caught up with her and her sore body finally succumbed to sleep.

_Slipping off her sandals, Gabriella giddily made her way for the moonlit water; the waves gently running up and down the sand. She sat down on the soft surface, and wriggled her toes enjoying the feel of the cool sand trickling through her toes like baby powder. Inhaling deeply, Gabriella smiled softly as the saltiness that lingered in the air, and she couldn't remember a time where she had felt more at peace with herself._

_This beach contained so many happy memories of the two of them; it was no wonder why Troy had arranged for them to meet up here. Gabriella couldn't shake the feeling of giddy excitement that soared through her veins as she thought about seeing him again. It had been almost two years since she had last seen him – a lifetime. _

_Gabriella hadn't stopped smiling since she got his note. It had been handed to her the minute she walked through the door after returning from her studying abroad. The note wasn't very long, but it was direct. It asked for her to meet him at the beach at ten o'clock that evening, and to come alone._

_Glancing down at her watch, Gabriella shifted with anticipation as she watched the second hand tick by slowly, before the minute hand moved defiantly, pronouncing it exactly ten o'clock. He would be here any minute. Gabriella stood up, and rubbed the sand off of her jeans, before consciously smoothing out her chocolate tresses. Shifting from foot to foot, Gabriella turned her body, and froze, a soft gasp emitting from her lips._

_Troy was standing there, directly behind her, his appearance so sudden that he could've been a ghost. Gabriella stood in awed silence as she registered how similar but different he looked. Troy had shot up like a beanstalk and he was no longer skinny. Strong defined muscles could be seen from underneath his black leather jacket. His hair was slightly shorter, but it still hung in front of his eyes in the way that Gabriella loved. Her hand itched to be brought up, and to stroke the hair away from his eyes, but she forced her arms to stay pinned to her side, as she and Troy silently regarded each other. _

_The silence between the two of them was torture, and Gabriella could no longer take it. Stepping forward so that she was mere inches in front of Troy, Gabriella outstretched her shaking arms for a hug, expecting a similar response, but Troy didn't even crack a smile. As she focused on his face, Gabriella could clearly see that something was wrong. She dropped her arms back to her sides, frowning._

"_Troy?" Her voice was uncertain as her russet eyes searched his azure ones. Suddenly, Troy stepped forward, and pressed a cold, icy kiss to her lips. Gabriella was taken aback for a moment, but just as she melted into it, the kiss was over, and Troy was standing further away from her body, his eyes filled with regret._

"_Troy? Wha-" But then she saw them. Three shadowed figures behind Troy, walking towards them; towards her. Gabriella's eyes widened in fear as she glanced quickly back at Troy, confirmation written on his face. Tears sprang to Gabriella's eyes as she worked out what was happening. Troy wasn't here to see her; he was here to kidnap her. Taking a big step backwards, Gabriella's eyes desperately searched Troy's, her heart beating like a thousand brass drums. _

"_Why?" Her question came out as a sob, but before she had time to run, a heavy body flew from nowhere, crashing into her fragile frame and sending her plummeting to the sand. A strong pair of hands grabbed her flailing arms, whilst another pair appeared from the darkness, and clamped around her mouth, muffling her desperate screams._

"_Troy! No! Troy, why are you doing this?! Help!" Tears gushed from her eyes hysterically as she frantically tried to free herself, screaming with all of her might. As Gabriella bit into a hand, something solid and metal appeared from nowhere, and smashed into Gabriella's head, knocking her unconscious immediately, and the world turned to the blackest ink._

_--_

"We did it! We actually did it!" Aaron Gates was ecstatic. "We nailed it, fellas!" Aaron grabbed Mitchell's hand, and they both did an impromptu jig around the kitchen. Yes, they had done it. They had captured Gabriella Montez, the only daughter of Antonio Montez, an important diplomat who took pride in his family, and was on his way to becoming the next President.

Troy watched in silence as his accomplices cheered and high fived each other, their faces proud and jubilant. How could they be so _happy?_ They had just kidnapped an innocent seventeen year old girl, and they were _cheering_?!

_Wait, don't think like that Bolton!_ _You don't feel sympathy for anybody now, remember? You're as cold as ice. You feel nothing – just the satisfaction of killing unworthy and useless people who don't deserve to live. _Troy lectured himself in his mind, and he stared blindly around the room. He couldn't feel sorry for Gabriella – it was forbidden; one of the many rules he had promised to obey when he joined this…group, this cell, this organisation.

But as he replayed Gabriella's petrified screams in his mind, Troy could feel his heart wrenching in pain…

"Bolton!" Troy blinked heavily before reluctantly looking up to meet Aaron's gaze – the second rule he had learnt was to never ignore Aaron Gates, not unless you had a death wish. Aaron Gates was the leader of the division, and the position fitted him well. Sharp, lithe and deadly, Gates was well known of, and was number three on the most wanted list. He had been in the business for over six years, starting at the tender age of sixteen. Now, he was the leader of a division in the SF (Salvation Fighters), a well known terrorist group.

"What?" Troy asked through gritted teeth, his jaw clenched almost painfully.

"Loose the attitude, Bolton." Gates demanded, his grey eyes locking onto Troy's clenching fists. "You did a good job tonight. I had my doubts 'bout you, but the stupid cow didn't even see it coming." Gates sneered, slapping him on the back in praise. Something inside of Troy snapped and in one swift movement, Troy spun, and slammed Gates' body into the wall, gripping the collar of his leather jacket.

"Don't you ever doubt my actions or loyalty again. D'you hear me?" Troy hissed, his face centimetres away from Gates' harsh yet slightly amused one. Out of the corners of his eyes, Troy saw Mitchell step forward, but only to be held back by Michaela. He didn't care. He'd take them all on to get to Gates. Troy and Gates watched each other in silence, before Troy slammed him against the wall again.

"D'you understand me?" He repeated, his stormy eyes flashing with hatred.

"Yes, I understand. Now get your fucking hands off of me." Gates replied, his voice harsh. Troy released him at once, and took a resolute step backwards.

"So, the mouse can roar, can he?" Mitchell's voice cut through the tense silent, his eyes dancing with amusement. Troy took a step towards him, snarling.

"Jesus, dude, relax." Mitchell put his hands up in front of him, laughing at the murderous expression on Troy's face. Troy sighed harshly before leaning against the side again, casting his eyes downwards.

"So, Aaron, what do we do next?" Michaela's annoying voice spoke up, and Troy lifted his gaze to see his 'boss' looking thoughtful.

"We deliver the ransom note with proof that we have her, to the girl's father." Gates replied, a grin playing on his lips.

"What kind of proof?" Troy asked sharply, and Gates turned to face him.

"Convincing proof." He replied, before pointing at Mitchell. "Mitch, got any ideas?" Mitchell grinned before nodding his head.

"'Course. How about we cut off a piece of her hair?" he suggested, but frowned when Michaela snorted in amusement.

"Uh, no. We should stain something with her blood. That'll make it more than convincing." She said, smirking at Gates who was nodding his head in agreement.

"Excellent, Michaela. And as seeing as Bolton is our star tonight, he can do the honours." Gates sneered, and Troy felt his stomach drop to the floor. _Uh oh. _He watched in apprehensive silence as all three of them smirked at him. Knowing better than to refuse, Troy stiffly nodded his head.

"Leave it to me." He replied, and pushed off from the counter, collecting a pair of scissors and a sharp knife, before walking from the room, and down the narrow corridor of the three roomed cabin. The first room was the kitchen that had been neglected to years as there was a thick later of grease coating every possible surface in the room. The second room was a small living area, and the third room had been turned into a cell.

What the hell was he doing? He couldn't do this! Ever since Troy had heard the plans of Gabriella's kidnap, he had been on edge. He had desperately wanted to find ways in which he could warn her, but found it impossible with Gates watching his every move. After nearly three weeks of plotting, the four of them had succeeded. They had caught Gabriella! No! Not Gabriella – just a random girl who'd get them everything they needed. Not Gabriella, not Gabriella…

Troy repeated this in his mind as he paused outside of the cell door. He could do this. He had to do this.

Taking a deep breath, Troy unlocked the steel door, and walked inside.

--

**Okay, I am currently freaking out! This chapter is probably the most important thing I have ever written in my entire life – please please please don't hate me! I worked really hard on this, and I'm hyperventilating right now.**

**I'm sorry if this didn't make any sense, but I'm hoping those of you who have read the book will know what's going on, but even so, I hope that those who haven't, you still have the basic idea!**

**I'm sorry if this is too much like the actual book. I've tried immensely hard to keep it to my own ideas – so please don't hate me!**

**I'm in desperate need to hear what you all think! If none of you like it, then I'm not gonna continue with it. So if you guys actually enjoyed that chapter, and do not hate my guts, please please press that sparkly review button, and make me the happiest fifteen year old ever!!!!**

**xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow. Okay, before I start with the second chapter, I just wanna say a huge thanks to those people who actually reviewed – your reviews and opinions are really important to me, and so thanks!**

**The response after the first chapter was really good, so I am feeling slightly less nervous about this story, but it is still early days, and who knows! But so far, your reviews have been really nice, and there have been no flames!**

**I get that the first chapter was fairly short and it lacked a bit of background information, but I am going to try my very hardest in making sure I include a bit more into this chapter, and hopefully, make things clearer.**

**DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I own nothing – except from the characters that appeared in my mind**

**Love, Hate, Hope**

**Chapter 2**

The sound of the thick, steel door opening with its hinges screeching in protest, and then closing with the defiant click of the lock registered somewhere in the back of Gabriella's mind, and it was enough to rouse her from her restless doze.

Heavy footsteps echoed around the dark room, getting louder as they approached the wire bed on which Gabriella's tense body lay. Gabriella refused to open her eyes, and so, feigning sleep, she rolled her body away from the edge, letting out a deep sigh.

"I know you're not asleep, so don't even try it." Gabriella froze at the sound of his voice, a short gasp escaping from her lips. His voice was deeper than she remembered, huskier, and Gabriella realised how much she had missed it. Remaining silent, she ignored his presence, and continued to face the wall, her eyes still clamped tightly shut.

"Gabriella?" At hearing her name spoken from those lips for the first time in two years, Gabriella felt her heart ache furiously, and she couldn't stop the tears from returning to her eyes. Blinking heavily to stop the tears from falling, she brought her shaking hand up to muffle any sobs that threatened to escape.

The tense silence between Troy and Gabriella grew more deafening as neither one of them moved or spoke. How long had Troy been standing there now? It felt like hours but it can't have been more than five minutes. A defeated sigh broke through the penetrating darkness of the room, before it was followed by the shuffling of feet and Gabriella almost let out a sigh of relief, thinking that Troy had finally given up. But as soon as that hopeful thought entered her mind, the mattress at the bottom of the short bed sank as Troy sat down. Gabriella's body immediately tensed as she felt a rough hand land on her arm, pulling her body backwards so that she was now resting on her back.

"Look at me." The soft demand was forceful, yet slightly strained – something Gabriella didn't expect. Unable to open her mouth to speak, she shook her still pounding head, but stopped when the motion made her feel unusually dizzy. Troy let out a sudden frustrated sigh, and Gabriella jumped.

"Look at me, Gabriella." His tone was louder and harsher than it had been before, and Gabriella found herself cowering away from his body. The hand that was still lingering on her arm, shifted up her body, and Gabriella trembled in fear as she felt his fingers lace through her dark locks. Without thinking, she reached her hand up to try and pry Troy's fingers away from her hair, but the moment her wavering fingers came into contact with his heated skin, Gabriella knew it had been a bad idea.

Troy grasped her fingers before she had the chance to retract them, and then enclosed both of his hands around hers, forcing her to sit up. He ignored the wince that crossed Gabriella's face as she moved, but frowned when he realised she still had her eyes closed.

"Why won't you look at me?" he asked gruffly as Gabriella struggled to free her hand from his, but failing miserably. She let out a frustrated snivel, and stopped struggling, bringing her free hand up to her face to rub her furiously throbbing head.

"B-because if I do, this is all r-real," she whispered at last, shaking her head desperately. "And I don't w-want i-it to be." Gabriella stopped speaking as her sobs overwhelmed her body, and as Troy watched her cry, he felt a sharp tug in his heart, but ignored it. Instead, he was determined to get her to look at him, and letting go off her small hand, he framed her face with both of his hands, tilting her head to face his.

The moment she felt strong hands cupping her face, Gabriella's watery eyes flew open before she could stop them, but she so desperately wished she had. Seeing him, sitting in the dark, was like a sharp arrow whizzing straight through her body. He wasn't like the Troy she had grown up with, and she had been stupid to think he would have. The Troy she had known and loved was dead, and in his place was this Troy; a cold stranger.

Clawing at his hands, Gabriella frantically tried to free herself from his grip, but her weak body was no match for his.

"L-let go of me." She begged, but Troy shook his head firmly. "Please." Her weary russet eyes locked with his, and Gabriella could see pain shining in his cerulean orbs, but she didn't care. He can't have been feeling worse than she was. Giving up on his hands, Gabriella quickly shoved Troy in the chest, catching him off guard, and he tumbled off of the bed and onto the cold concrete floor. Seizing this as her opportunity, Gabriella jumped from the bed and ran to the other side of the room, desperate to get as far away from him as she could. Cowering in the corner, Gabriella watched mutely as Troy stood, dusting himself off. She dodged him again as he made to move near her, but as she turned once more, Troy grabbed her dainty wrist, and pulled her resisting body towards his, holding her tightly.

"Gabriella –" Just as Troy began to speak, a loud click came from the door, and it swung open to reveal two shadowed people standing in the door way.

"What the fuck is taking so long, Bolton?" Gates asked exasperatedly, and raised his eyebrows as he looked at Troy, holding Gabriella close to his body. "What's going on here?" Furious amusement laced his voice as he stepped into the room, the second person following him.

"Nothing." Troy replied, his voice solid and cold. The person behind Gates snorted, and Troy instantly identified them as Michaela.

"Really? It doesn't look like nothing." She sneered, walking around Gates, and stopping in front of Troy who still had a firm grip of Gabriella. Smirking, Michaela trailed her beady eyes up and down Gabriella, before she raised her bony hand and grasped Gabriella's face. Troy felt Gabriella tense incredibly in his arms, as she pulled her head back out of Michaela's grip.

"So, this is the daughter of the famous Antonio Montez, is it?" she sneered, her mouth forming a malicious grin. "I bet you've never had more to worry about in your life than breaking the occasional fingernail." Michaela hissed at Gabriella, her face full of hatred and rage.

"Michaela, get the fuck out of here, and go and do your job." Troy growled, narrowing his eyes as Michaela glared at him. Casting one more poisonous look at Gabriella, she turned sharply on her heel before strutting out of the cell. As soon as she had gone, Troy rounded on Gates who was watching with cold amusement.

"I don't need an audience, Gates." He fumed. Gates scrutinised Troy with his grey eyes before nodding. He walked over to Gabriella, and Troy immediately felt Gabriella shrink away from Gates as he stared at with a look so deadly, that Troy almost started shaking with fear. With no warning, Gates grabbed both lapels of Gabriella's jacket with one hand, and slapped her face. There was enough force in the slap to make even Troy cringe. Gates tore Gabriella from Troy's grip, and shook her viciously.

"You're not in control here; we are. And you will do everything you're told or you won't leave this place alive. D'you understand?" He threw Gabriella to the floor suddenly, and she cried out as her tender head hit the solid ground. "You will do _exactly_ as we tell you or I will personally make this place your hell on earth. None of us are going to take any of your pathetic crap." Gates straightened up and headed out of the room, pausing briefly as he reached the doorway. "Make sure she does as she's told, Bolton." He said before disappearing through the door way, slamming the metal door shut as he left, the echo ringing throughout the room.

The room became silent once again; the only sound was the quiet sniffling coming from Gabriella. Troy turned to face her, and he felt his stone heart lurch as he took sight of her curled on the ground, rubbing her stinging cheek. Slowly he moved towards her, and crouched in front of her shaking body before holding out his hand towards her. Gabriella's eyes widened at his gesture, before lifting her gaze to his sincere one. Hesitating, Gabriella slowly placed her hand in his, and Troy clutched tightly before returning to his feet, pulling her up with him.

Gabriella stared at Troy in confused disbelief, and she quickly retracted her hand from his, taking a resolute step backwards. She sat back down on the bed, wrapping her arms around her knees.

Troy had to do it now.

Sighing, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the scissors, before sitting down next to Gabriella's petite frame. Gabriella shifted away from him slightly, but her gaze remained locked on the scissors in his hand. Wordlessly Troy lifted the scissors to her dark tresses, and Gabriella held her breath as Troy cut off a small clump before placing it inside an envelope.

"What's that for?" She asked nervously, but Troy just shook his head. Gabriella frowned in annoyance – she needed to get him talking. She had to get him to remember her, remember how much the two of them were in love. She had to get him to think of her as a proper human being, with a name and thoughts and feelings, instead of the nothing she obviously was to him now.

"Troy – I – don't know what you're going to do with me, but I think I understand why you feel you have to do this," she began, her voice wavering, "I really do, but this isn't the way."

Nothing. Troy didn't lift his gaze to hers. Unperturbed, Gabriella continued.

"Whilst I was abroad, I became involved with protests and debates and sit-ins. I want the same thing as you want Troy, you know I do. I spent our entire childhood fighting along side of you, demanding equality, but if you try to change to world with violence, you're only going to swap one injustice for another, Troy, but there are other ways –"

"Like what?" Troy challenged. "Like being educated in a school where difference 'apparently' didn't matter – I tried that remember?"

"I know, but if you'd just leave this and give it all another try…I could help you…"

"I don't want to hear it, Gabriella. I sick of your ruddy help and handouts." Troy stood up, and began pacing the room. "You're just like all the others. You think the poor can't do a fucking thing unless you stuck-up rich people are there to supervise us." His spat the last words, his whole body shaking in rage that Gabriella desperately forced herself not to cower from.

"Don't hate me for the way things are, Troy. I have nothing to do with it. I want the same things just as much as you do! I believe you can change the world, Troy. I know you can, but not like this," she said, the tremor in her voice slowly dying, "I'm not trying to be patronising, I genuinely want to help but –"

"Enough!" Troy spun to face her, his facial expression brutal. "I don't need your fucking help, Gabriella. I don't want your help." He exclaimed as he watched Gabriella recoil from him. Sighing, he shoved his hand into his jeans pocket, feeling the handle of the knife he had stashed there, and the second part of his job came flooding back to his memory. Lifting his gaze from the floor, he raked his eyes down Gabriella's form. "What're you wearing?"

"Excuse me?" Gabriella sounded affronted, and she shifted further backwards on the bed.

"You heard me."

Puzzled, she replied, "Uh, jacket, jumper and jeans."

"Is that everything? Tell me everything, Gabriella." He knew how this must've sounded to her, but he had to find out. Gabriella didn't respond. "I can always find out myself." He threatened before he heard Gabriella sigh in resignation.

"Trainers, jeans, t-shirt, underwear, jumper, jacket and necklace. Satisfied?"

"Take off your t-shirt."

"What? Hell no." Gabriella sounded shocked, scared even as she stared at Troy in horror.

"Take off your t-shirt, or I'll do it for you." Troy inwardly cringed at the harsh words but he had to do this. Gabriella gave him a long, hard, fearful look before she decided he was being serious. Hesitantly, she began to take off her jacket, her terrified eyes never leaving his.

"A-are you going to kill me, Troy?" she whispered, as she dropped her cream jacket to the ground.

"No." Troy closed his eyes and turned away so she couldn't see his face. Why did it have to be her? He thought he could do this…

"I never realised you hated me, Troy." Gabriella whispered; hurt lacing her voice as she reached to take her jumper off. "Is it me personally, or is it because of my family's power?" Troy remained silent, but she continued. "And you know what I've just realised? None of you are wearing masks or trying to disguise your voices, and that means you don't intend on letting me go." Troy's head shot up, and the two of them regarded each other in silence. Gabriella swallowed heavily. "One of you is going to k-kill me…" she whispered more to herself than to Troy. Gabriella pulled her t-shirt over her head, and threw it onto the ground in front of Troy. As she stood there, more vulnerable than ever, Troy couldn't help but marvel over how much her body had changed. Her light pink lace bra emphasised her breasts rather than hid them. Her waist went in, instead of straight down, and her legs were slimmer and longer. Her face was just as dazzling as he remembered, but it had lost its baby fat. She was so very, very beautiful.

Troy's trance was broken as Gabriella shifted under his obvious gaze. "W-what now?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"You can put the rest of your clothes back on." Troy replied, ripping his gaze from her body, and picking up her t-shirt that she had dropped at his feet. "If your father does as he is told, you should be okay…"

"Okay?" Gabriella scoffed. "Like I'm okay now? Come on Troy, this is your chance to take your revenge. Don't you want to get your own back for putting up with me all of these years? All of the times you were pretending to love me?

_Shut up, shut up. Ignore her, Troy. Put a straight jacket on your feelings. Don't let her see how much she is getting to you… _

"What about that night we spent together in my room, Troy? Did that not mean anything to you?" Gabriella ventured, her voice becoming tearful again.

"You mean the night two days before you murdered my uncle?" Troy rounded on her and Gabriella visibly quailed under his harsh gaze.

"He died trying to escape from the camp…"

"My uncle chose to die because he didn't want to spend his life rotting in some hell for something he didn't do!" Gabriella flinched and dropped her gaze to the floor, before she looked up again, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"I didn't kill him, Troy. I didn't want him to die."

"You and your kind killed him, Gabriella." Troy said, his eyes flashing with something Gabriella assumed was hate. She watched as Troy reached into his pocket, and a tortured gasp sounded from her lips as she took in the knife that Troy was clenching in his hand.

"So you _are_ going to kill me…" Gabriella's voice trembled dangerously as she dropped to the bed, her face drawn in complete terror.

"You wouldn't be the first of your kind I've killed. Not by a long shot." Troy replied, his words slow and cold.

"And I'd be easy to kill, wouldn't I?" Gabriella said quietly, folding her hands together in her lap, "'cause I don't matter. I'm nothing to you. Never was, and never will be…" her words were quiet, but they were almost taunting.

Troy was furiously angry now. _How could she think that? She's always mattered to me. It's always been her – Stop, Troy! You can't think like this! _Troy felt the anger bubble inside of him, and before he gave her a chance to pull away, he grabbed one of Gabriella's hands, and drew the thick blade of his knife quickly across the soft pad of her index finger. Gabriella gasped in pain, tears instantly springing to her eyes. And Troy's anger immediately died with such sadness that he knew it hadn't been real anger to begin with. The anger was manufactured to help him get through each minute, each day of this treacherous life…

"Sorry…" he mumbled as tears slowly began to roll down Gabriella's baby soft cheeks. Troy wrapped her light blue t-shirt around the viciously bleeding finger. He concentrated on getting her blood onto the t-shirt. He couldn't look at her.

After a minute or two, Troy unwrapped the cotton from Gabriella's finger, and took in the angry red blotch staining the fabric – it was the final proof for Antonio Montez that they were completely serious. Troy felt Gabriella trying to pull her hand from his grip, but he just held tighter.

"I bet you enjoyed that," she hissed at him, her almost black eyes piercing his. Troy winced at her words before he finally let go of her wrist.

"No, I didn't," he snapped back, returning the knife back into his pocket. As he looked back up, he saw that Gabriella had placed her finger into her mouth to ease the pain, but she winced has the wound stung anew. She took her finger out to look at it, and frowned when she saw it was still bleeding thickly. The cut was deep – for both of them. It was deeper than Troy had intended it to be; a scratch would have been deeper than he intended. Gabriella went to put her finger back into her mouth, but Troy quickly reached forward and grabbed her wrist again. Eyes flashing, she struggled to free herself; maybe she thought he was going to cut her again. Keeping his orbs locked on hers, Troy slowly raised her hand, and put her finger into his mouth, and Gabriella instantly froze, her eyes wide. Troy's tongue gently lapped the blood away from the cut, and he heard Gabriella's breath hitch slightly as he began to gently suck the tip of her finger. Neither one of them knew how long they had been sitting there, watching each other. A minute? An hour? Gabriella blinked suddenly, and slowly pulled her finger back, her expression unreadable. After a moment of silence, Gabriella spoke.

"When you all decide that you don't need me anymore," she whispered, "I want _you_ to…do it. One favour though. It's the last thing I'll ever ask you, I promise. J-just make it…quick. Please?" Her voice broke on the last word, and she then turned around to face the wall and lied down on her side.

Troy stared at her back, his fists clenched tightly as his side, reigning himself in so tightly, that he thought his back would snap. Without another word, Troy shakily rose to his feet and left the room, carefully locking the door behind him. He leaned against the door heavily, his eyes clamped tightly shut. _You need to do this, Bolton. You have to. _Sighing deeply, Troy pushed himself off of the door, and turned to walk back to the kitchen, only to find Gates standing further down the corridor, watching him intently.

"What?" Troy was annoyed. Everywhere he turned, Gates seemed to be watching his every move.

"Give me the t-shirt." Troy shuffled down the corridor, and handed over the t-shirt and the envelope with Gabriella's hair in it. Gates looked long and hard at the blood stain, and when he at last he looked back up at Troy, his grin was full of admiration and relief. "Now I know whose side on you're on, Bolton. Well done." Gates slapped him on the shoulder before continuing. "Mitchell and I are going to deliver all of this as well as our demands. Michaela will guard the house. Gabriella Montez is your responsibility now, Bolton. Understand?" Troy didn't answer verbally, he just nodded his head. Gates nodded back. "Whilst you were in there with Montez, I got a call from the General. He's sending his second-in-command to check up on us and the situation," gates paused to make a face, "if he gets here before we're back, make him welcome – but only after he's given you the correct password."

"Which is?"

"Moon Beam." Troy nodded and moved to the side to let Gates move past him. Troy stayed in the corridor as he listened to Mitchell and Gates prepare to leave. Just as they were walking out of the main door, Gates smirked back at Troy. Troy merely nodded his head, and watched as the front door closed.

--

Curled up on her side, Gabriella stared blankly at the wall, her right hand cradling her throbbing finger. It had finally stopped bleeding, but the searing pain was still there. Sighing, she rolled onto her back, waiting for sleep to overcome her, but knew she would be waiting for a while because she could feel her mind working in overdrive.

Did Troy really hate her that much? _He must do, otherwise he wouldn't be going through with this, Gabriella. _

Were they really going to kill her? _Again, obvious. If they were planning on the letting you go, they would have made some effort in keeping their identities hidden. If they let you go, they'll you'll be able to indentify them…_

Sitting up with difficulty, Gabriella looked around the room. The only light that was visible was the tiny strand of golden glow emitting from underneath the bottom of the door. Feeling restless, Gabriella swung her legs over the edge of the bed, and gently padded over to the doorway. She reached out her hand and touched the cool metal, searching for a handle or lock. She fumbled in the dark for minutes, but the sound of the lock clicking on the outside had her jumping backwards in shock. Standing back, Gabriella watched as the door opened, and Troy emerged from behind it, holding something in his hands.

"Dinner," came his velvet voice. Folding her arms, Gabriella turned her back on him. She knew it was childish but she couldn't stand looking at him. A hand landed on her shoulder suddenly, and she was forced to turn around.

"Dinner," Troy repeated, and thrust a plastic plate into her hand. Gabriella shot him a fierce look before throwing the plate across the room, the thud echoing off of the walls. Again, Gabriella knew it was childish but she didn't care. Troy watched her for a moment before shaking his head.

"You shouldn't have done that," he said, and Gabriella deliberately turned away from him and lay back down on the uncomfortable bed. Moments of silence passed before Gabriella heard the shuffling of feet, shortly followed by the slam of the door, and the cruel click of the lock.

Troy never forgot to lock the door.

**Okay, done with the second chapter! This chapter was definitely longer than the first, but hopefully, it wasn't too confusing! **

**Please please please review. I noticed that I had over 270 people reading this story, but only 13 of them actually reviewed. And whilst I am eternally grateful to those who did, it's a little bit frustrating when people read it, but don't leave a comment. So PLEASE review – they mean the world to me, and motivate me even more :)**

**I introduced a teeny tiny bit of history between the two of them – but you'll get a full flashback in the next chapter :) **

**Thanks for the amazing support guys - you're awesome! Review? x x **


	3. Chapter 3

**Yeeeesh! Okay, I'm sorry for the delay. I didn't mean for it to be this long, but things just got in the way. I literally through a hissy fight when played up, and then I've been unable to finish the chapter since then because for some reason, school decided to be all gay, and give us TONS of revision to do cuz I've got 4 bloody GCSE exams on Friday! Ugh! Anyways – it's here now!**

**Wow – the response I got to the last chapter was really good! Of course, I want to say a huge thanks to the people who took the time to read this story **_**and**_** to review. Your reviews are SO important to me, so please please please review after you've read this chapter – it would mean so much to me :)**

**I'm glad that some people picked up on the teeny tiny subtle hint of sexual tension between both Troy and Gabriella. Even though the gesture was not meant to be intimate – it was to show that Troy is battling with himself – it was meant to show a bit of simmering tension between them both. I think this chapter will be longer than the previous ones, but you'll definitely get another glimpse at their past, and hopefully it'll make a bit more sense.**

**Okay, so, here's the third chapter!**

**Love, Hate, Hope**

**Chapter 3**

_The car drew up outside of Ashdale Prison at twenty to six in the evening. Gabriella sat in silence as she stared out of the tinted window, watching as people dressed in black walked up to the entrance of the prison, not one of them uttering a single word. Every expression was a reflection of the one before it and after it – sullen and poignant._

_When the car reached the main entrance, Antonio Montez flashed his ID at two security guards by the gates, and the car was then waved straight on through. What the hell were they doing at Ashdale Prison? Why did Gabriella have to be dressed up in her expensive dress no less to go to a _prison_? _

_The car door opened suddenly, and Gabriella's mother ushered her out of the car. Silently, she followed her mother and father as they were led into the prison courtyard. The early evening air was sharp and bitter, and Gabriella silently cursed her mother for making her wear her thin dress. Gabriella pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders as she took in the metal scaffold standing tall in the centre of the courtyard. Half of the courtyard was taken up by seats placed in tiers, and Gabriella suddenly found herself sitting in a chair right at the front of the seating area. _

_Puzzled as to what was going on, Gabriella craned her neck to look around the courtyard. She noticed that the lower class citizens were standing in a huge sea of black. Why? Gabriella looked down at her light purple dress. Was she meant to be wearing black? Glancing at the people behind her, Gabriella saw that they too were not wearing black, and she frowned in confusion._

_Returning to face the front, Gabriella's eyes raced over the many faces of the standing people, and she saw that most of the them were staring at the metal scaffold, however her frown deepened when she realised that some were crying. What was going on? Without warning, a pair of cobalt eyes appeared from nowhere and locked with hers. Shock, like a bucket of ice cold water, flowed over Gabriella as Troy stared at her, his gaze never wavering. She hadn't seen him in weeks, and all Gabriella wanted to do was smile at him and beckon him over – but somehow, she couldn't find the strength to smile; it seemed wrong to smile in an atmosphere as tense as this one. As Gabriella's gaze remained focused on Troy's face, she heard a series of footsteps to her right, and Troy's gaze suddenly left hers to look at the scaffold, the colour immediately draining from his face. Unnerved, Gabriella snapped her head back to face front to see a tall greying man standing at the top of the scaffold._

"_Ladies and Gentlemen," his hands gestured to the smartly dressed people who were sitting, firmly ignoring the mass of people standing off to the side, "we are here today to witness the execution of Robert David Bolton having been found guilty of six counts of murder and the charge of political terrorism. His appeal was denied by the court, and so the sentence of hanging by the neck until dead will now be carried out. Bring out the prisoner."_

_And was it only then, when it had been spelt out to her, did Gabriella know what was happening; they were going to hang Troy's uncle. Gabriella felt her blood run cold throughout her body as she stared at the scaffold in appalled horror. There was a murmur as a door to the right of the deathly scaffold was opened, and Troy's uncle was led out. _

_Gabriella tore her gaze away from the scaffold to glare at her parents who were staring sombrely at the scaffold. Ripping her gaze from her parents, Gabriella turned to Troy to find him watching her with a look she had never seen before; a look that cut straight through like the sharpest, keenest knife. Pleadingly, Gabriella shook her head, begging him to believe her. She felt tears burn in her eyes as Troy tore his gaze from her, his face set like stone. How could she make him believe her? If Gabriella had known where she was going, she would've refused to have come. Nothing, not even wild horses could have dragged her through those wretched gates._

"_Mom, I want to leave." She hissed furiously, glaring at her mother who refused to tear her eyes away from the scaffold in which Robert Bolton was now standing on._

"_Not now, Gabi." She returned, not once looking at her._

"_I want to leave NOW!" Gabriella sprung to her feet, raising her voice. Heads turned in her direction, but she didn't care. She had to get out of there._

"_Gabriella, sit down and stop making an exhibition of yourself," her mother snapped._

"_No! Nothing is going to make me sit here and watch_ this_. I'm leaving," Gabriella turned sharply on her heels and began to push her way past the other soulless people who were watching as if what was unfolding in front of their eyes was nothing more than a programme on the television. She felt a sharp tug on her wrist and was suddenly pulled around. She was met is with the sour expression on her mother's face before her mother's hand came up and slapped her harshly on the cheek._

"_Now shut up, and sit down." She hissed before sitting primly back down. Cheek smarting and eyes stinging furiously, Gabriella sank back to her seat. Well, fine, she couldn't leave, but there was no way in _hell_ that they would make her watch the disgusting act happening in front of her. Gabriella stared desperately on her feet, determined to keep her eyes from seeing such a terrible sight. But no matter how hard she tried, Gabriella couldn't keep her gaze lowered. Cautiously, she raised her head, and instantly her eyes were drawn to it, her heart revolted by it. Furious at herself for looking, Gabriella turned her head away from it, and found herself once again staring at Troy. He wasn't looking at his uncle either – he was staring at her with a look that chilled her to the bone. At that minute, Gabriella could tell that Troy wished her, and her family, and all those around her to be dead. Gabriella had seen that look before, but never from Troy, but know she had, she knew that she would never stop seeing it. Flinching, she turned back to the scaffold, and even though she was sickened by what was happening, nothing was worse than seeing that expression on Troy's face. _

_The entire courtyard was deadly silent as they watched what was happening on the scaffold. A black hood was placed over Troy's uncle's head, and Gabriella felt her chin trembling and tears threaten to fall as the prison clock began to strike the hour. When it struck six, it'd all be over._

_ONE…All eyes on the scaffold._

_TWO…The noose around Robert's neck._

_THREE…Someone begins to weep. Loud, heart-wrenching sobs. Gabriella felt her own heart breaking in her chest._

_FOUR…A man at the scaffold nods to someone behind him._

_FIVE…One more…_

"_Wait! WAIT!" There was a murmur throughout the crowds as a voice called frantically from underneath the scaffold. Gabriella and the others around her craned their necks to see what was happening._

"_It's the governor…" Maria Montez muttered, and Gabriella turned to her mother, tugging on her arm._

"_Mom? What's going on?" She asked anxiously, but her mother didn't answer, she simply remained staring at the scaffold. Gabriella huffed in annoyance as waited for someone to tell her what happening. The clock struck six times and Gabriella refused to blink, worried that the slightest movement would spring the trap beneath Robert's feet._

"_The execution is stayed!" Someone finally shouted out, and Gabriella immediately felt relief spreading rapidly throughout her body, but the peculiar the thing was, no-one cheered or shouted. Maybe they were in shock, unable to believe what was going on. Gabriella eagerly searched for Troy's gaze in the crowd and their eyes finally locked. Their confused faces mirrored each other as they both silently asked the same question. _

_Were they going to let Robert go?_

_The man who'd stopped the execution walked up the metal steps to the scaffold. He nodded to the guard who then immediately pulled the black hood off of Troy's uncle's head. Robert blinked crazily for a few moments, his eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness. The prison's governor walked over to Robert and said something to him quietly. There was a brief pause before Robert shook his head in disbelief, and the governor placed his hand on Robert's shoulder before turning to face to confused crowed._

"_Ladies and gentlemen, I have just this moment been informed that Robert David Bolton has received a reprieve. His sentence has been commuted to life imprisonment, thus, there will be no hanging today._

_And the whole place erupted in commotion._

--

If he could just stop thinking for five miserable seconds, he might be able to get some well earned sleep. But it just seemed impossible. As he tossed and turned in his sleeping bag, Troy couldn't get Gabriella's helpless words out of his head.

_Just make it quick…_

But they wouldn't even have to kill her. Sure, she'd seen their faces and heard their voices, but by the time her father had given into their demands, they would be long gone. But…the more he thought about it, the more Troy knew he was deluding himself.

_Just make it quick…_

"You look like you could use some company." Michaela's annoying voice from above him was the last straw, and Troy give up any hope of sleeping.

"Who's guarding the front?" he asked testily, clambering out of the black sleeping bag.

"I had to pee – if that's alright with you." Michaela retorted, folding her arms sassily.

"No, it's not okay with me. You want to take a leak, do it in the woods, just don't leave your post."

"Eew. I'm not a man!" Michaela protested. "I can't pee standing up!" Troy rolled his eyes as he rolled up his sleeping bag before chucking it into the corner of the room.

"That's no excuse."

"Bolton, you're mad as hell about something, but you don't need to take it out on me." Michaela took a step closer, making no attempt to hide the way her beady eyes raked over Troy's well defined torso, her gaze lingering on his chiselled six pack.

"Then get out of my face." Troy returned, pulling a lime green t-shirt over his head.

"Oh, you don't need to get dressed on my account," Michaela said silkily, lightly running her hands over Troy's sculpted chest. Sighing impatiently, Troy took a resolute step backwards, ripping her hands from his body.

"Get back to your post, Michaela." He and Michaela regarded each other, before she finally sighed in defeat.

"Fine." She huffed before stalking out of the room. Troy yawned and ran a hand through his dishevelled hair, before shuffling to the kitchen, in search of a drink, preferably alcohol. Just as he opened the fridge, he heard a sudden commotion out the front. Dropping the beer, he ran to the door just as it crashed open. For a split, panicked moment, Troy thought they had been discovered by the police, but as he took in the sight in front of him, he sighed in relief, a slightly amused look appearing on his face. Michaela was trapped in a headlock by a tall stranger with black hair, tied up in a ponytail. There was silence as Troy grinned at Michaela's embarrassed scowl, before the stranger spoke.

"I take it you're the one in charge." His voice was deep and scratchy. He regarded Troy intensely, his eyes trailing down is body. Troy's grin immediately disappeared as the stranger's lips curled into a condescending smirk. Troy hated not being taken seriously, and that was exactly what the stranger was doing. "I believe you've been expecting me." The stranger took a step forward, still not relinquishing his grip on Michaela.

"Let go of me, you bastard!" Michaela struggled furiously, but the man was not fazed. He pushed her forward suddenly, and she fell to the floor, unchecked. Snarling, she drew herself back up, her arms raised, ready to take him out. The stranger chuckled amusedly before raising one of his hands.

"I wouldn't if I were you," was all he said, but it was enough, and Michaela dropped her arms to her sides uselessly. "I've got to say, I've only been here a minute or so, and I am already not impressed." Troy glared harshly before folding his arms tightly, his muscles flexing dangerously.

"We've been expecting you, have we?

"Indeed."

"What's the password then?" Troy took a step forward, ready to react if the man failed to give the right password.

"You first," the man ordered, and Troy snorted.

"Nice try. You're the guest here, not us."

"How about Moon Beam?" the stranger ventured, grinning smugly. Troy narrowed his eyes at the grin before shaking his head.

"Not even close."

"Really?" Okay, let's try again," the man laughed, "how about Moon Beam?" He repeated again, his eye brows raised. Troy bit in the inside of his cheek before nodding briefly.

"Okay. I'm Troy, and this is Michaela." Troy nodded towards Michaela's furious stance, and the man nodded in confirmation before holding out his hand.

"Hi. I'm Dennis Cooper." After a moment's pause, Troy shook the hand firmly, still on his guard.

"You're the General's second-in-command?" Michaela snorted, sounded unconvinced. Cooper glared at her, his mouth set in a firm line.

"Yeah. You wanna make something out of it?" He hissed causing Michaela to take a step back, holding her hands up.

"Just asking. Um…I'm on duty, so I'll…just go." She mumbled before turning the opposite way, quickly flashing Troy a cold glare as he laughed at her uneasiness. Once Michaela had shut the front door, Cooper turned back to Troy.

"So, I guess I should say congratulations of the success on your first part of the mission," he smiled briefly, "let's just hope the rest runs just as smoothly." Troy narrowed his eyes slightly at the offhand comment.

"No reason why it shouldn't." He replied, and Cooper nodded his head, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"No reason at all," he agreed. "Now then, let's see the prisoner." His eyes flickered over to the metal door at the end of the corridor. Troy winced at the harsh term, before opening his mouth to protest, but the look that Cooper sent him had him snapping his mouth shut.

"Follow me." He sighed reluctantly before digging the key out of his pocket. Pausing momentarily, Troy unlocked the door and pushed it open to reveal Gabriella sitting upright on her bed. She regarded them in silence, her face illuminated by the light coming from the open door.

"I hope for your sakes that your father loves you very much." Dennis told her after a moment of silence, and Gabriella frowned. As her gaze trailed down his body, her eyes widened suddenly as she took in a lightening bolt shaped tattoo on the top of Cooper's left hand. Something in her eyes flickered and Cooper scowled before crossing his arms, hiding his hand from her view. Troy's curious gaze flickered from Gabriella's confused features to Cooper's cold ones. What was going on? Why had Gabriella reacted like that to the tattoo?

"Be a good girl and you'll soon be out of here," Cooper said before turning to walk out of the door. Gabriella remained silent – if anything, her frown deepened. Looking at Gabriella for a moment longer, Troy followed Cooper out of the room, sheathing it in darkness as he locked the door once more.

"Make sure she doesn't leave that room alive," Cooper said quietly. "Direct orders from the General. Understood?" Troy gulped as the ground beneath him started to rock violently, and he nodded his head firmly.

"Understood. I'll take care of it myself."

"Good man. Make sure you do." Cooper said before heading towards the kitchen, leaving Troy to run a shaky hand through his hair.

Now what was he going to do?

--

The moment Troy had locked the door again; Gabriella pushed off of her bed, and continued to explore the room. It wasn't anything special; a square room with cement floors and brick walls. There were no windows, so the only light in the room was the thin strip shining through the bottom of the door.

Gabriella had thought about screaming for help, but logic told her that they were miles from anywhere; otherwise, they would have tied her up and gagged her. She tapped her way around the walls, not really knowing what she looking for, but searching for a change in note, a hollow sound that could maybe rekindle some of her hope.

But there was nothing.

Groaning in frustration, Gabriella slumped back onto her bed, resting her faintly throbbing head in her hands, wary of her wounded finger. That man…who'd come in with Troy…Gabriella was so sure she had seen him before. She knew she had, but she just couldn't place him and it was frustrating the hell out of her. _Where_ had she seen him before?

Unable to do anything else, Gabriella allowed her mind to wander to her family. What were they doing now? Did her parents know she had been kidnapped? She hadn't seen them in nearly seven months, so they wouldn't suspect anything bad to have happened to her. But what happens when they do find out? How will they take the news? How much money would her dad have to give the kidnappers? How much was she _worth_?

As Gabriella pondered, she laughed harshly at how reluctant she had been to return home. But now…she's give anything to be there now. How long had she been in this place? One day? Two? Three? How many more days would she be in here?

What if she never leaves?

--

"_DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT TO ME AGAIN!" Gabriella Montez was furious. No not furious; it seemed too tame as to what she felt._

"_Don't talk to me like that, young lady," her mother frowned at her, shocked that a sixteen year old girl would talk to her in such a manner – her daughter, no less. But Gabriella did not heed a single word her mother said; she was too far gone. After the chaos at the prison, Gabriella's father had gone straight back to his office, leaving Gabriella and her mother to go home alone. And with each passing second, the rage within Gabriella's small frame had dug deeper and deeper, settling in every corner of her body. _

"_How dare you take me to that…that…thing? How _dare_ you?!" Gabriella paced the kitchen, her eyes murderous._

"_Gabriella, we had to go. It was our duty." Maria sighed before turning to the fridge to pull out a full bottle of wine. _

"_Our _duty_?! To see a man get hanged?!" Gabriella was appalled. She stopped pacing to glare at her mother who was now pouring a large glass of wine._

"_Yes, Gabriella, because like it or not, we have to support your father whether we agree with what he's doing."_

"_But that was…barbaric! Taking me to watch a man die?! Dad's sick. So are you." Gabriella's pretty features twisted in hatred as she watched her mother down her whole glass of wine without pausing to take a breath._

"_Nonsense. I didn't like it any more than you did." Maria retorted, pouring another glass._

"_Liar. I saw you. You couldn't take your eyes away from it." Gabriella hissed and Maria shook her head profusely._

"_I wasn't watching," she muttered quietly as she went to pour her third glass of wine. Gabriella had had enough. She snatched the glass bottle from her mother's grasp, and threw it onto the floor, watching in slight satisfaction as the bottle smashed into hundreds of tiny shards._

"_Go to your room." Maria hissed, staring at Gabriella in horror. Finally, a reaction. _

"_You really don't care, do you?" Gabriella said, making no attempt to hide her disgust. "You would have cared more if they were hanging a wine bottle instead of a person." Maria let out a shocked gasp before she lifted her hand and slapped Gabriella clean across the cheek. But Gabriella just turned back to face her, her eyes gleaming with tears. "How could you do that to him, Mom? To me? Did you know Troy was there?" Gabriella's voice trembled as she remembered the dead expression on Troy's face. "He hate's me now, Mom. Thanks to you and dad! I shouldn't have been there – you didn't see the way he looked at me…" Gabriella felt the tears building and she blinked heavily in attempts to smother them._

"_You think you're the only one hurting, Gabriella? The Bolton's have been my friends for years. Troy's mother was like a sister to me! D'you think I wanted Robert hanged?" Maria asked, her hands shaking as she placed her empty wine glass on the side._

"_Then why did you go?!" Gabriella shouted at her, and Maria shut her eyes briefly._

"_One day you'll realise that you can't always do what you want in this life, Gabriella. And when you do, maybe you'll think of me," Maria told her, her hand coming up to wipe a stray tear that was lingering in the corner of her eye. Gabriella shook her head, scowling at her mother's words._

"_I want to think of you as little as possible," she said bluntly. "You say they were your friends? Nothing would make me go to the hanging of one of my friends. Nothing. Not you, or Dad, or anybody else."_

"_But, I tried to help…" Maria whispered and Gabriella looked at her sceptically. _

"_How?! By getting drunk before and afterwards?!"_

"_You stupid girl. Who do you think paid for their lawyer? Troy couldn't afford it! Not after his parents died. He can barely afford food to eat." Maria took hold of Gabriella's shoulders firmly. "I prayed and paid and did everything I could to make sure Robert didn't hang and Troy didn't lose the only family member he had left." Maria let go of Gabriella's shoulders suddenly, and turned away to lean against the counter._

"You _paid for the lawyer?" Gabriella asked incredulously. Maria nodded her head, but didn't turn back to face Gabriella._

"_Yes, and that's not to leave this room, Gabriella. Now, go. Just go to your room, and stay there until you've fixed your attitude." Gabriella stared at her mother before she ran out of the kitchen. She bolted up the stairs and into her room. She flung herself onto her bed, and buried her head under her pillow. She cried and cried until her whole body shook, and her head was pounding like a pneumatic drill, but she still couldn't stop._

_Gabriella had never cried that much in her entire life. _

_--_

Aaron and Mitchell arrived back at the cabin three hours after they had left to deliver their orders. Troy was sitting in the living room with Dennis and Michaela when they arrived back, smug smiles etched onto their faces.

"How did it go?" Michaela asked, standing up when Gates ushered to her move so that he could sit in her seat. Michaela scowled but sat on the floor nonetheless. Gates shrugged and glanced at his watch.

"We're about to find out. We put in the letter that he had to make an appearance at nine o'clock." Gates reached over and turned on the TV, waiting for the news to come up.

"God, can you imagine how rich we're gonna be?" Mitchell exclaimed, rubbing his hands together.

"_We interrupt this programme to bring you a news flash."_

"Sshh!" Michaela shouted. "It's on!" They all sat forward, their eyes never leaving the TV. The atmosphere in the room was edgy, as they waited in anticipation for what was about to happen. They watched as Antonio Montez appeared on the screen.

"_I am here to announce that I shall be temporarily withdrawing from the public office due to personal family reasons. I do not wish to say anything further at this time. Thank you." _As soon as he had finished, Antonio was ushered away from the cameras and out of sight. The camera then changed back to the studio, and Mitchell leant forward to mute it.

"Yes! He's agreed to our orders!" Mitchell declared, and Gates punched the air triumphantly. Troy didn't join in with the celebrations – he remained staring at the TV screen.

"I don't trust him," he muttered as the newsreader discussed Antonio Montez's surprising announcement with the channel's political correspondent. Gate's turned to Troy, and smiled.

"I don't trust any of them," he said, "but we've got him over a barrel – and he knows it."

--

_It took a while before Gabriella heard the strange tip-tapping at her window but once she was conscious of it, she instinctively knew it had been going on for a while. Pushing up from her bed, Gabriella wiped the tears from her face, and crossed the room to open her window. As she did, tiny stones appeared at her feet. Gabriella already knew who it was and she leaned over her balcony. Troy stood below her balcony crouched behind a bush._

"_What..? Gabriella lowered her voice, "Troy, what are you doing here?"_

"_I need to see you." He spoke in hushed voice, fear of being discovered._

"_Okay. I'll come down." Gabriella pushed away, only to suddenly stop._

"_No, I'll come up." Troy slid from his hiding place, and walked until he was at the wall of the house._

"_Okay, but be quick." Gabriella glanced around anxiously._

"_How do I get up there?" Troy asked, and Gabriella smiled slightly as she detected amusement in his voice._

"_Can you climb up the tree?"_

"_What? I'll break my neck!" Troy protested, but moved towards the towering tree regardless._

"_Hang on then, I'll tie some sheets together…"_

"_No, don't bother." And without another word, Troy clambered through the branches of the tree, hauling himself higher and higher until he reached Gabriella's balcony a minute or two later. Gabriella immediately held out her hands for him to take, and Troy carefully reached out of the tree, and jumping the slight distance between the balcony, before he landed on his feet with a dull 'thud'. Gabriella ushered him inside before locking the balcony door, shutting out the cold air. Troy and Gabriella stood staring at each other before Troy finally broke the silence. _

"_I know I should've phoned first, but I came straight here. I hid in the garden until the coast was clear," he said, before adding amusedly, "you've got guards now." Gabriella smiled weakly before she looked down at the ground. _

_She wanted to say sorry for everything that had happened to him, to his uncle, and to everything that was still happening, but even in her head, the words sounded stale and inadequate. And she couldn't forget the way he had looked at her in the prison courtyard._

"_Is…there anything I can do?" Gabriella flinched at her words – she had already done enough. She risked a glance at Troy, but he didn't answer, he just watched her. Fiddling with her hands, Gabriella looked around her room. Should she sit or stand? What should she say? What should she do? On the inside, Gabriella could feel panic building._

"_Have you been crying?" Troy's sudden question brought her from her thoughts, and she looked up at his face, his cerulean eyes boring into hers._

"_Err…yeah, kinda." Gabriella muttered, bringing her hand up to wipe away any remaining proof._

"_Why?" _

"_Because of everything that's happening." Gabriella replied, before she ran to the bedroom door, locking it. The last thing she needed was her mother to come in. Sighing in relief at the click of the lock, Gabriella turned, only to bump straight into Troy's sturdy chest. Dazed, Gabriella looked up at him, and found him staring at her in a way that had her breath hitching._

"_I…I thought you were going to help," he told her, and Gabriella immediately shook her head. How could he think such a thing?_

"_Listen, if I wanted help, you wouldn't have made it to my bedroom window," she spoke gently, but Troy was hardly listening. He was staring at her, his expression cold._

"_Troy..?" _

"_You're father must be so proud," Troy's eyes narrowed, "An innocent man is going to rot in prison, and then, just like that, your dad's political reputation is restored?"_

"_No…" Gabriella whispered. "It wasn't like that…" But it was – and they both knew it._

"_Is the way it's going to be now? The minute a politician is in trouble in the polls, they'll just seek out the nearest one of my type to imprison or hang – or both?"_

_Gabriella didn't take her eyes off of Troy. Out of the corner of her glistening eye, she saw him clenching and unclenching his fists. She didn't move, blink, or breathe. Troy was hurting so much on the inside, he was tearing up on the inside. And he wanted to hurt someone or something._

"_And what about you, Gabriella?" he asked a moment later._

"_W-what about me?" Gabriella's voice trembled as she searched his face._

"_No more me and you, I take it." Troy responded with contempt before he continued. "After all, you wouldn't want to ruin your future by being spotted with the nephew of a terrorist."_

"_He didn't set off that bomb. I know your uncle didn't do it, Troy."_

"_Really? Well, so did the fucking jury – for all the difference it made. D'you know how long they deliberated over his case? One fucking lousy hour." Troy's head slumped despair and Gabriella bit her bottom lip gently._

"_Troy, I'm so sorry…" she gently touched his cheek but Troy's head snapped up suddenly. He started at her with white-hot burning hatred, and Gabriella quickly retracted her hand._

"_I don't want your fucking sympathy," he hissed causing Gabriella to take a step backwards. She didn't even know she was crying again until a salty tear ran into the corner of her mouth._

"_I want to smash you and every one of your kind. I hate you so much," Troy said quietly, and Gabriella nodded her head, more tears escaping from her puffy eyes._

"_I know you do," she whispered, "You've hated me since you came to the school, and you got called all of those awful names…" She watched as Troy faltered slightly, his eyes flashing with realisation. _

"_And you've hated me for turning my back on you, especially when those girls beat you up," he realised, and Gabriella didn't deny it._

"_Then why are we still together?" Troy murmured quietly, as if to himself. "Why do I still think of you as –?" _

"_Your best friend?" Gabriella supplied. "Because you know that's how I think of you…" Gabriella felt a sudden surge of confidence. "B-because I love you. And you love me, I think." Her timorous words snapped Troy out of reverie suddenly, and she waited in silence for him to do something; laugh, lash out, deny it, leave – anything. But he didn't._

"_Did you hear what I said?" Gabriella tried again, her voice wavering. "I l-love you." _

"_Love doesn't exist. Friendship doesn't exist – not between our kinds. There's no such thing." Troy replied and Gabriella felt her heart aching._

"_Then what the hell are you doing in my room, Troy?" She asked, choking on the inside. "Why did you come here?" _

"_I'll be damned if I know," Troy shrugged, and watched as Gabriella sighed painfully before sitting on her bed. After a moment's hesitation, Troy sat down beside her, and neither one of them could remember feeling so awkward. Troy struggled desperately to find something to say, and risking a glance at Gabriella, he could tell she was having the exact same problem._

_Gabriella had so much she wanted to say, but the words tumbled and jumbled around in her head, making her feel dizzy. Nothing would come out of her mouth. She turned to face Troy and found him watching her intently, waiting for her to make the next move. Gabriella's gaze dropped, and she began fiddling with the hem of her dress. After a moment of apprehensive silence, a large warm hand appeared, and clamped down on Gabriella's fidgety ones. Nervously, Gabriella allowed Troy to pull her closer to him, and she watched as he leant backwards, resting his head on her fluffy pillow. Troy tugged on Gabriella's hand, and she cautiously lay down next to him, her head resting next to his. The two of them lay facing each other in silence, their gazes locked. Gabriella felt her breath hitching as Troy lifted one hand, and wiped the stray tears that were lingering on Gabriella's cheeks. Allowing herself to relax, Gabriella felt Troy shift next to her, and before she knew it, she was laying on her back with Troy leaning over her body._

"_Troy..?" Her sentence died on her lips as she saw Troy lean his face closer and closer, until she could feel his breath hot against her cheek. Instinct took over her, and Gabriella placed a hand against Troy's cheek, and she leant up slightly, pressing her lips to his in a quick, hesitant kiss. Gabriella pulled back after a moment, letting her head fall back onto the pillow. She watched Troy nervously, waiting for his reaction. Gabriella saw something flash in his light blue eyes, but before she could comprehend, Troy's lips were on hers again, moving slowly, waiting for her to respond. After a shocked moment, Gabriella lifted her second hand so that she was framing Troy's face, tilting his head so that she could kiss him at a better angle._

_This was most definitely not what Troy expected to happen when he had first arrived at Gabriella's house. In fact, he had been expecting the exact opposite. He'd wanted to confront Gabriella, yell at her, scream at her, hurt her for everything that happened that day, but the minute he had seen her tear stained face, all of his pent up hatred vanished, leaving a feeling of adoration that Troy had ignored, deep in his heart. But he never anticipated ending up on top of Gabriella, pinning her small body to the mattress of her bed and kissing her in a way so…so tender; loving._

_Troy was jolted from his daze as he felt Gabriella push his head away suddenly, leaving them both gasping for breath. Gabriella didn't relinquish her hold on his face and she gently brushed the hair out of Troy's eyes, her own orbs frantically searching his._

"_W-what are we doing?" She whispered as her lungs finally took in the well needed oxygen. Troy sighed deeply before shaking his head._

"_I have no idea." They fell silent again, their gazes never breaking contact. Gabriella softly bit her swollen bottom lip before speaking in another hushed whisper, minutes later._

"_Kiss me." _

_Troy blinked heavily before cocking his head to the side, his expression dazed. _

"_What?" His voice was husky and held a slight hint of confusion. Gabriella smiled soothingly, before tugging his head downwards again, stopping when their lips were just a breath width apart. _

"_Kiss me again," her voice was soft and adoring, and it was enough to convince Troy. He closed the gap between their lips and gently kissed Gabriella, lowering himself so that he was resting on his forearms, their bodies brushing against one another, seeking comfort and reassurance._

_Gabriella was on cloud nine; floating in blissful happiness. She had fantasized kissing Troy so many times, and at last, it was finally happening. The nervousness she had felt previously vanished as she felt the tip of Troy's tongue run in a whisper like caress over her bottom lip, and almost at once, Gabriella parted her lips and allowed their tongues to tangle in a consoling dance. She slid her hands backwards, tangling her slender fingers in his unruly locks, and Troy rolled onto his side, taking Gabriella with him, never once breaking their kiss. With Gabriella now hovering over his body, Troy was able to lift his hands, one cradling the back of her neck, the other playing with a silky strand of her hair. Reluctantly, Gabriella broke the kiss moments later, her breathing ragged and frantic. Unable to resist, Troy leant up to brush his lips against hers in a chaste kiss before flopping back down to the bed, taking in the sleepy fluttering of her eyes._

"_You tired?" he asked in a low whisper, and Gabriella nodded her head, a large yawn breaking through._

"_Mhmm," she murmured before yawning again. Troy grinned slightly before tugging her downwards, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder._

"_Then let's sleep," he whispered, and Gabriella sighed in approval, nuzzling his throat gently. Troy lay there in silence for a few moments, stroking his hand up and down Gabriella's bare arm. As he continued his gentle caress, he heard Gabriella's breathing hitch before slowing, falling in the familiar rhythm of sleep as sleep overwhelmed her exhausted body. _

_Troy lay in silence, lulled by Gabriella's breathing, but finding it impossible to sleep. He couldn't understand how drastically things had changed. When he'd come to Gabriella's room, he had been burning up with desire to smash her and everything around her. She was the only one of her type that he could actually hurt; and yet here she was, asleep, clutching to his body as if he was a life-raft or something. There was not a single millimetre of space between their bodies, Troy pondered, and he could easily move his hands and…and anything. Caress or strangle. Kill or cure. Him or her. Her or him. _

_Gabriella shifted in her sleep suddenly, turning her body so that she was laying on the pillow, facing Troy, her arms instinctively reaching out to hold him. Troy shuffled closer to her so that their noses were almost touching. Every time Gabriella exhaled softly, her breath gently tickled Troy's face. Troy stared in wonder at her beautiful face; her lips turned up at the ends in a placid smile; her rich chocolate tresses framing her baby-smooth face. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful sixteen year old girl Troy had ever seen, and knew she was possibly the most radiant girl in the world. Unable to resist, Troy leant over and pressed a lingering kiss on her lips – needing to feel her. Gabriella's drowsy eyes fluttered open almost immediately, and she smiled gently as she returned to kiss, bringing one hand up to hold his face. Abruptly, Troy pulled away, something dark flashing in his eyes._

"_Why are you kissing me?" He questioned, unable to help the slight trace of frustration. "Passion or guilt?" But as soon as he had said the words, he immediately wished he could've taken them back. Gabriella looked so hurt, tears welling in her eyes, and she went to roll away, but Troy gripped her tightly. _

"_I'm sorry," he murmured, nuzzling her hair. Gabriella turned her head to look at him, her eyes glossy with unshed tears._

"_Maybe you should go…" Her voice was quiet, and Troy winced at the hurt lacing her words. _

"_Not yet. I'm sorry, Gabi," He opened his arms to her, his smile soothing, and Gabriella found herself melting under his gaze. "Let's just get some sleep, okay?" Gabriella nodded at his question, before allowing Troy to curl his arm over her waist as he pulled her backwards so she pressed against his warm chest. Gabriella was asleep again in less than a minute._

_Ten minutes must've passed. Then fifteen. Troy couldn't take it any more – he had to sleep, so that he could escape from the horrific events of the day, and remain with Gabriella nestled in his grasp. He wanted to stay in this position forever. _

"_Gabriella, do you want to know a secret?" Troy whispered against Gabriella's ear minutes later. Gabriella shifted her head slightly, moving her ear away from Troy's mouth; his breath must have tickled her. Troy smiled slightly before nuzzling her ear with his nose, his words soft, hushed._

"_I have a confession…" and he told her everything. He told her what he'd never told anyone else; what he hadn't even admitted to himself - the biggest secret of all._

_He was in love with her. _

--

**Okay. So I know that this chapter was more flashback than actual story, but I felt it was important for you to find out a bit of Troy and Gabriella's past. Hopefully you all understood it – but if there is anything you're not sure on, don't hesitate to ask me. I love getting PM's! :D**

**PLEASE review! I know I say this every time, but please please please don't just read this chapter and then go – please leave a review as well. I don't mind if it's just one word, or a thousand words, but please, just say something! Anything! Well – anything nice, or constructive. I don't take flames! :p**

**Hopefully, the next chapter will be up by the end of next week. I would like for it to be sooner, but I have to be realistic with this, and things are pretty hectic at the moment. I've got ridiculous amounts of homework and studying to do – but if you all review, I may update quicker ;)**

**Please, with a cherry on top. Review?**

***mwah* Thanks! xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

**The fourth chapter has arrived! I'll try and keep the A/N short, but I just wanna say a HUGE thanks to the people who read my chapters, AND review. I know I said this exact same thing last chapter – but your reviews are incredibly important to me, so please do review. I had 223 hits on the most recent chapter, but only 15 reviews…and I know I'm nagging, but please, I want this story to hit at ****least ****100 reviews in total – and I'm relying on you guys to make that happen; so please please please do review.**

**Anywhoo, enjoy!**

**Love, Hate, Hope**

**Chapter 4**

It was a crisp autumn evening: the perfect evening to pick up the ransom money and let Antonio Montez know that they had further demands before he could see his daughter. At least, that was how Aaron Gates had described it. The ransom money would of course be separated between Gates, Mitchell, Michaela and Troy, but Gabriella would not see her dad again until seven members of the SF had been released from prison. However, what the authorities did not know was that the seven SF members were key members and had vital roles to play in future missions.

"You all ready for the telephone relay?" Cooper asked the group who were spread out in the living room. Troy was sat on the floor, leaning against the wall near the doorway with a small handgun cradled in his hand. He looked up at Gates, grinning slightly as he took in the frown playing on Gate's lips.

"Of course. We've been through it fifty fucking times," he responded tersely. "Michaela will stay here with the girl, and Mitchell and I will make our relay phone calls from two different locations around town to stop them from tracing the calls. Troy will drop off the second set of instructions, pick up our money, and head straight back here. It's all arranged." Gates said, the words rolling off of his tongue as if he were learning lines for a play.

"And you'll all be in your correct places at the correct times?" Cooper asked, almost in a way that was condescending.

"Of course," Gates was getting annoyed now, and he wasn't doing a very good job at hiding it. "This isn't amateur hour, y'know. We know what we're doing."

"I never said you didn't. But…I think it'd be better if Michaela makes the pick-up," Cooper added. "That's always the most dangerous part of a kidnapping and as a girl; she's more likely to go unnoticed." As he said this, Michaela was nodding her head enthusiastically.

"Yes! I don't wanna be stuck here with that spoilt bitch." She spat and Troy stood up from his position on the floor.

"Then I'll go in Mitchell's place and make one the phone calls," he volunteered, glaring at Cooper who shook his head before Troy had even finished speaking.

"No. Out of all of us, you're the one Montez knows the best. We can't take any chances of him recognizing your or even your voice."

"I'm not staying here," Troy responded heatedly. "I'm not a fucking babysitter."

"You're needed here, Bolton." Gates told him and Troy shook his head, gesturing towards Cooper.

"Why can't he stay behind and look after her?" he asked. He couldn't stay here _alone _with Gabriella.

"I can't stay here, Bolton. I'm off to another part of the country tonight." Cooper replied edgily. "And plus, I'm here as an observer for the General; not to do your dirty work for you."

"I'm not staying here." Troy protested, crossing his arms tightly; his small handgun still grasped firmly in his hand.

"You'll do as you're told, Bolton." Gates hissed, his eyes cold and piercing. Troy was embarrassing Gates in front of the General's second-in-command. He'd get it in the neck for that when Gates was alone with him.

"You're staying here, and that's final." Troy reluctantly stayed silent, but his deadly scowl told them all what he thought of the idea. Defeated, he placed his gun on the coffee table, slumping into the sofa. After a minute of silence, Cooper clapped his hands together suddenly.

"Let's go people. And remember to keep your eyes and ears open at all times." He said. "Never underestimate these scumbags. A lot of our members made that mistake and they're either rotting in prison or swinging at the end of a rope because of it. I'll be keeping an eye on you; a very close eye." And with that, they all headed out of the living room, and towards the front door of the cabin. Troy trailed miserably behind, scowling at the backs of their heads. Before he left, Cooper turned to him, muttering quietly.

"If the police or anyone suspicious arrives, you shoot the girl first and ask questions afterwards. Get it?" Troy gulped silently before nodding.

"Got it."

"Good. Don't let us down, Bolton." Troy glared before replying.

"I won't."

"You'd better not." Cooper said, slapping him on the back before following the other three outside. Troy shut the door behind them, and stood in the hallway. A pained sigh escaped his lips as he glanced at the metal door at the end of the corridor.

_I don't want to be here. I don't want to be anywhere near here where I can hear Gabriella's voice, or see her face. Get me out of here._

_Get me out of here before I do something I'll regret._

--

Lying on her back, Gabriella stared blindly at the ceiling. She had been doing so for that last two or so hours. What else could she do? There was nothing. As she stared at the ceiling, Gabriella stroked her left hand up and down soothingly on her right hip that had been aching furiously since Gates had shoved her to the ground.

The opening of the steel door broke through the deafening silence of the room, and Gabriella held her breath as she heard someone enter the room.

"Gabriella?"

Gabriella's hand slowed but did not stop its soothing motions, and she rolled onto her side to face the wall, her face averted, her tired eyes now staring at the wall.

"Gabriella, what's the matter?" Troy moved further into the room, closing the door behind him and moving to stand next to her bed.

"Nothing. Go away." Gabriella replied, her back still facing him. Even if she'd been ordered and chastised, nothing would have made her look at Troy. To look at him would be to weep and scream and beg; and Gabriella wasn't going to do any of those things. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He was one of them now. Her Troy was dead.

The mattress sank where Troy sat down behind her, and neither of them spoke. Gabriella continued to rub her throbbing hip; slow, circular strokes. Despite the pain in her hip, Gabriella couldn't ignore the blazing pain in her finger. Every time she stretched it out, the wound opened up again, and bled thickly.

Without warning, Gabriella's hand was moved away from her hip, and moments later, Troy's large, warm hand replaced it. Unable to stop herself, Gabriella turned to Troy, her eyes wide with fear. She tried to push his hand away, but gently and firmly, Troy placed her hand at her side, and continued to rub her hip. Gabriella hated how she realised that his touch felt _so_ much better than her own.

She couldn't breathe. Gabriella's frantically pounding heart slammed into her ribs as she stared at her captor.

"What are you doing?" She whispered at last, her gaze focused on Troy's face.

"You're hurting." He replied in the same hushed whisper, his electric blue orbs pulling her in deeper.

"Like you care." Gabriella hissed. At first, she thought that Troy wasn't going to reply. He simply sat there, looking at her, his hand moving magically against the soft, bruised skin of her hip.

"I care," he said at last.

"Then let me go. _Please_."

"I can't."

Ashamed of herself for asking, Gabriella tried to turn her body away, but was stilled when she felt a strong hand cup her cheek. As Troy carried on rubbing her hip, the two of them watched each other in silence that surrounded them like a thick bubble. There was no outside, no sight, no sound. The world outside of the four walls around them was reduced to just that room; the two of them.

"I love you."

Gabriella felt her exhausted eyes widen in shock as Troy's tender yet forbidden words hit her with the force of a speeding train.  
"W-what?" she asked, her throat seemed to restrict her airways, and she soon found her breath arriving in short spasms.

"I love you," Troy repeated, his finger landing on Gabriella's open lips as she tried to say something. "I told you once before – when you were sleeping, and couldn't hear me. I was afraid for you to hear me; but I'm not anymore."

Troy _loved_ her.

Gabriella had dreamed so many times of Troy saying those words. Yesterday, those words would've enabled her to fly. But that was yesterday…

"You don't love me. You can't." She whispered, her eyes becoming glossy once more. "It doesn't exist. You told me so."

"If it didn't exist, my life wouldn't have come crashing down when I watched you board that plane. I came after you, Gabriella. But you didn't look back. I thought you would've, but you didn't." Troy let go of her face, and ran his hand through his dishevelled hair.

"Y-you…you came after me?" Gabriella asked, her voice stunned and broken. Troy smiled sadly as he nodded his head.

"I didn't get your message until an hour before you were due to leave. I raced and raced all the way to the airport, but I got there just in time to see you board the plane." Troy replied softly, his cyan eyes shutting as the images of that heartbreaking day flashed through his mind. Gabriella shut her eyes to stop her tears from escaping but they did anyway. They trickled slowly down her cheeks like solitary raindrops on a window pane.

"Ignore me," she whispered, wiping her eyes. "Just go away, please."

"Do you hate me?" Troy asked, his voice still soft, but Gabriella could detect the pain behind his words. She was finding it hard to think straight. _Troy had come after me… He had wanted us to be together…_

Troy's hand was still stroking her hip, but it was no longer soothing. Instead, it seemed to burn through her clothes and straight down into her insides.

"Do you?" Troy prompted as Gabriella remained silent. Gabriella shook her head and she lifted her gaze to meet Troy's imploring one.

"Another place…another time…" Gabriella's tears were unstoppable as they rolled down her cheeks. Her breath hitched as Troy began to stroke her salty tears away, his eyes never leaving her aggrieved coffee ones.

"I don't know anything about another place or time," he whispered. "All I know is right here and right now."

Before Gabriella could make a sound, his lips were on hers, and she could see nothing but his face, his eyes. His lips were so soft; softer than she remembered. Gabriella'd daydreamed about doing this so many times, until she realised that she had been dreaming about something that was never, ever going to happen again. And then the dream had been buried deep where she hadn't been able to reach it easily. But now, her world had been turned upside down, and Troy was kissing her.

His lips coaxed open her own, and cautiously, Gabriella complied, her eyes slowly fluttering closed. She hadn't felt this way since the night they had spent in her room, the first time they had kissed. She breathed in his intoxicating scent, a scent she had so desperately missed, and Troy shifted his hands away from her hip and he ran them up and down her arms in a gentle stroke.

Tongues met in a tentative caress, moving slowly against one another, in a shy dance of rediscovery. As Gabriella allowed the kiss, she could feel uncertainty building in her stomach as a nagging question lingered in the back of her mind.

_Should this be happening?_

Unable to ignore the niggling question, Gabriella pulled back from the kiss, breathing heavily. Resting her head back on the pillow of her wire bed, Gabriella lifted a finger and traced her tingling lips for a moment, before opening her eyes to see Troy watching her cautiously.

"Troy…" Gabriella began to speak before Troy shook his head, standing up. He looked at her for a long minute, his facial expression unreadable, before turning away from her and walking slowly towards the door.

"Don't go." Gabriella's whisper had him pausing at the door, and Troy turned back to see her sitting up on the bed, her face soft but perplexed.

"I have to," Troy replied reluctantly and watched as Gabriella stood from the bed, shaking her head. She came to stand in front of him, her bottom lip caught gently between her teeth.

"Stay," she whispered, reaching out a shaking hand to curl around his own, clasping it tightly. Troy's azure orbs penetrated her sparkling ones and Gabriella slowly stepped forward until she was pressed tightly against Troy's sturdy body. They stood in silence before Troy sighed deeply, his strong arms winding firmly around Gabriella's tiny waist.

"We can't do this-" he protested but was cut off when Gabriella leaned up and pressed a hesitant kiss to Troy's lips. She pulled back a fraction, her uncertain eyes locked with his stormy blue ones, seeing nothing but guarded acceptance. Even though her own mind was screaming at her to stop, Gabriella pressed her lips to Troy's again, this time allowing her lips to glide softly over his. She felt Troy's arms tighten around her waist, pulling her closer so that she was able to feel his pounding heart beating frantically against her chest. Accepting his seeking tongue, Gabriella parted her lips and moaned softly as she felt Troy's tongue curl around hers. Troy's hands slid down her back to possessively cup her butt and he lifted her upwards onto her tiptoes, before pulling her off of the ground completely. He caught Gabriella's bent leg, and threw it over his hip, their bodies aligning intimately. Groaning slightly at the sensation, Troy slowly began to walk towards the bed, taking his time as he walked blindly through the dark. As his shins hit the side of the metal bed, Troy broke the kiss and leant down, placing Gabriella onto the mattress, before looming over her.

Trapped beneath Troy's muscular body, Gabriella fought for her breath, gasping softly. She watched intently as Troy regained his breath, looking any where but her, and Gabriella carefully framed his cheeks, turning his face so that his dark eyes locked with her own.

"Troy?" She whispered imploringly, stroking the side of his face cautiously, waiting for him to reply. He didn't; at least not verbally. His lips crashed against hers, and Gabriella was immobilised at the sudden force, but less than a second later, she was melting into it, her fingers raking through his hair, their tongues fighting for dominance. She gasped as Troy's lips trailed open mouthed kisses along her jaw line and down to her neck, where he began to suck harshly on the sensitive skin, determined to mark her for the first time. Gabriella's back arched at the sensation, pressing him closer. She responded readily to every forbidden kiss that Troy pressed against her lips; like if they could love long enough and hard enough and deep enough, then the world around them could never and would never hurt them again.

And then it was as if they'd both caught fire. Sort of like spontaneous combustion and they were burning up together.

"I love you," Troy whispered against the heated skin of her neck. But Gabriella could not hear him over the sound of her blood roaring in her ears. Needing to feel her lips on his, Troy eased his sucking; nipping lightly before his lips trailed upwards, and met her eager lips. Tongues battled for power, as Troy's hands lightly caressed her sides, making Gabriella squirm. His fingers then grasped the jumper she was wearing, and pulled it upwards, slowly exposing more of her soft, supple skin. Troy ducked his head, kissing her trembling flat stomach, pressing searing kisses across the bronze skin before he slowly trailed kisses higher, pushing her shirt upwards as he did. Gabriella moaned as she felt his warm breath on her chest, tangling her fingers in his slightly sweaty hair as Troy began to nip each swell of her breasts. Troy suddenly sat up, dragging Gabriella with him. She squeaked at the sudden movement, but found her lips immediately caught in a languid kiss. She felt Troy pull her jumper up, and Gabriella disconnected the kiss to allow him to pull it over her head. She had no time to blush as Troy gazed at her bra-clad chest before she was on her back again, clutching his protruding biceps and kissing him urgently.

Troy knew he should stop. He had to stop. This shouldn't be happening. What if Gates returned and found him here? He would be in serious deep shit. But, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find the strength to pull away from Gabriella. He didn't want to. He couldn't.

Everything went out of the window when he felt Gabriella's tantalizing hands slide down his chest and over his tight stomach before tugging insistently on the hem of his t-shirt. Troy understood what she was trying to do and leaned upwards, allowing her to sweep it up and off in one quick motion. Her hands immediately, explored his bare back, feeling his muscles contract and ripple at her feather like touch. Troy's hands were resting in Gabriella's hips but they slowly shifted downwards, playing with the top of her jeans. Troy pulled away from her and stared in to her eyes that were almost black with fiery passion. Gabriella knew what he was silently asking, and she fearfully nodded her head. Troy's head then returned to its place in the crook of her neck, were he continued to nip at the tender skin. He slowly pulled her jeans down, and tossed them somewhere behind him. His burning gaze trailed her golden legs that seemed to taunt him.

Troy's gaze snapped back to hers, his eyes feral and he immediately returned to her, pressing kisses around her jaw before capturing her bruised lips in a fiery kiss. Gabriella's eyes widened as she felt Troy reach round and unclasp her bra. She gasped as Troy's lips slowly began to travel away from her lips and down her exposed chest, where he blissfully admired the feel of her silky skin; his tongue gently swirling around the peak, causing Gabriella's breath to hitch to a point where she was finding it difficult to breathe.

A sudden feeling of intense heat and desire erupted in Gabriella's body has she felt Troy's hand slip beneath the barrier of her panties, and begin to stroke her softly. Gabriella's whole body jerked, her legs sliding back and forth restlessly. His touch was torture and heaven at the same time. Troy lifted his head until his lips sucked gently on her delicate earlobe - and his fingers slid across the swollen lips of her sex. Crying out, Gabriella's hips jerked forward as he traced her slick folds for the first time. He did it again, and the coiled knot within her wound tighter, her hands clenching at his biceps.

"_Troy_…" Her whimper of a plea didn't go unanswered as he slid one finger inside, testing her body's reaction and he ducked his head to her shoulder with a tortured groan, imagining the tight, scorching walls that clamped down on his finger, bearing down on the throbbing part of his anatomy that was fighting to escape the confines of his jeans. Deliberately, he focused on sliding that finger in and out of her, finding little to no resistance thanks to her state of arousal. Gabriella choked on a gasp as Troy entered a second finger, before her hands grabbed his face, pulling him back to her lips, kissing him urgently. As their lips fused together, Gabriella's hands slipped from his face, and eased between their two bodies, fighting with the button on Troy's jeans. After a moment of struggle, Gabriella was able to push the jeans from his hips, and down his strong legs, leaving Troy to kick them off.

Troy reluctantly tore his fingers away from Gabriella's core, and sat up, pulling Gabriella with him. In the dim light of the room, Troy could see the lost expression on Gabriella's face, and silently wondered if things had gone too far.

"Do you want to stop?" He asked Gabriella, catching her by surprise. Gabriella bit her bottom lip before shrugging her shoulders uselessly.

"It's too late now," she whispered back, her eyes flashing in uncertainty. Troy nodded his head before, speaking again, in the same hushed whisper.

"Why are you so scared?"

"B-because it's you." Gabriella responded, her voice wavering. Dropping her gaze, she carried on. "And because it will e-end, and I don't know what is going to happen next." Her voice broke on the last word, and the tears that had only just stopped, began to trail slowly down her cheeks. Sniffling, she felt a finger tilt her chin upwards, and she was met with Troy's sad gaze.

"I won't hurt you. I could never hurt you, Gabriella," Troy said softly, and Gabriella wasn't sure in which way he meant. The sex would hurt her as she was still a virgin, but…would Troy hurt her afterwards, when the others came back?

Gabriella had no time to think more about it as she felt Troy's lips press against hers, and she soon found herself sinking into his arms, allowing her body to be pulled closer to his. Laying her back gently, Troy removed his boxers and threw them to the floor, before settling in between Gabriella's legs. As Troy began to press kisses to her face, neck and chest, Gabriella realised she was shaking. Not because she was cold, but because she was scared. Terrified.

But Troy was right. They were going to make this time last forever. They only had there and then. And that was all that mattered. Gabriella allowed herself drift away, following everywhere Troy led.

Looming over her petite figure, Troy captured her lips one last time before shifting slightly, sliding into her, only to pause when an agonized gasp emitted from Gabriella's parted lips. He watched as she rapidly blinked back tears, biting furiously on her bottom lip, trying to muffle her whimpers of discomfort.

"Are you okay?" Troy gently kissed her cheek as Gabriella shook her head. "Do you want to stop?" Once more, Gabriella shook her head, opening her glossy eyes before clutching onto his shoulders.

"N-no. Carry on," she replied, her voice pained. Troy frowned at her distressed persona, but pushed forward gently, meeting her natural resistance. Dropping his forehead to hers, Troy took a deep breath before pushing forward once more, breaking his way through her barrier, before settling fully within her.

"Oh god…" Gabriella whimpered softly as more tears streamed from her eyes. Troy gently kissed the tears that were trickling down her cheeks, before kissing her lips in a motion to sooth. After a moment, Gabriella responded to the kiss, her arms wrapping themselves around his neck tightly as she hesitantly shifted her hips, gasping against his lips as she felt an unfamiliar sensation streaming through her body.

Taking this as a sign to continue, Troy slowly began to rock against her, keeping his movements gentle but firm. Gabriella occasionally winced in pain but as she began to relax, she could feel a building pressure rising within her, and she soon found her hips rising to meet every one of Troy's thrust, the intense yet pleasurable sensation startling her. She could hear his groans mingling with her breathy moans as he buried his head against her neck, his mouth placing open mouthed kisses against her skin. Her hands clutched at his broad back, their movements becoming even more erratic; their sweat-soaked bodies grinding together desperately until Troy choked out her name as he reached his climax, his last thrust enough to send her over the edge. Stars exploding in her vision as she felt overwhelming bliss sweep through her, and Gabriella fell to the bed, her chest heaving in desperate attempts to bring oxygen back into her lungs.

After a few moments of calming his pounding heart, Troy gently untangled himself from Gabriella, and sat up, wiping his sweaty face. Just as his breath returned to normal, Troy heard a strangled sob come from behind him, and he turned to see Gabriella sitting up, with her arms wrapped protectively around her legs, her whole body racking with sobs.

"Gabriella..?" Troy attempted to bring her to him, but Gabriella scrambled out of his grasp, searching frantically for her underwear. Pulling on her panties, Gabriella fumbled for her bra, aware of Troy also getting dressed.

"Gabriella…" Troy tried again but she refused to turn to him, instead she searched blindly through her tears, looking for her clothes. Did she look like him? So miserable and unhappy after what had just happened to them? If she did, she wouldn't look at him again. She desperately pulled on her jumper before tugging on her jeans.

How could she have let that happened? She knew it was going to make things so much worse, but she hadn't been able to say no. It was so wrong, but so right. Then why could she not stop crying?

Fumbling with he trainers, Gabriella tried to stem her tears, but they kept on coming. Her trainers were on the wrong feet; she didn't know what she was doing. Kicking them off her feet, she tried again, still weeping.

"Gabriella, please…" Troy tried again to calm her down, wrapping his arms around her body, but Gabriella pulled away, only to be pulled back to Troy's body, his strong arms caging her against him. Pounding her fists, Gabriella sobbed into his chest, her arms becoming weaker and weaker before she finally relented, her arms dropping pathetically to her sides.

"Why are you crying? Did I hurt you?" Troy tilted her face to his, his cyan eyes searching her pained, glossy ones. Gabriella shook her head, unable to form any words as she gasped through her sobs.

"Then what–" Troy began but was cut off as the steel door to the room was flung open, and in ran Gates, only to stop abruptly when he saw Troy holding a crying Gabriella. Troy immediately stepped backwards, causing Gabriella to stumble a little to bit.

But it was too late.

--

_It's not what you're thinking…It's exactly what you're thinking… Someone say something. Anything._

_Nothing._

"What happened?" Troy asked at last, trying to keep his tone neutral and calm, but his tense stance was anything but relaxed.

"You tell me," Gates replied with quiet menace, his eyes flicking from Troy to Gabriella who was still crying silently, her body shaking.

"Where's Michaela?" Troy asked, noticing the absence of the other two.

"Arrested."

"Where's Mitchell?"

"Dead," Gates replied. "They had undercover police everywhere. They must've been monitoring every phone box in town. Either that or they knew exactly where we'd be. Mitchell and I changed our locations at the last minute, but they caught up with Mitchell. I was lucky enough to escape in one piece though." Gates looked at Gabriella, his expression grave. "I thought we could take the girl and move out of this town to somewhere safer, but now…" He turned back to Troy, the rest of his sentence clearly spoken but unsaid.

_What have I done? Gabriella, forgive me. I've killed us both…_

Troy stood silently, before ripping his eyes away from Gate's murderous ones.

"I'll go pack up our equipment…" he said, taking one step towards the door, but Gates had him by the collar, up against the wall in a blink of an eye.

"I don't think so," he snarled. "Why is she crying?" He asked, nodding his head towards Gabriella. Troy felt his face burn, but he kept his mouth firmly shut. "And her jumper is on inside out…" Gates and Troy glared at each other. What was Troy meant to say to that? Nothing, clearly. Gates had already made up his mind what had happened in his absence.

"You fucking idiot! You've put a noose around both of our necks! We could've got what we wanted and let the girl go in spite of what fucking Cooper said. They would have never found us!" He punctuated each half-sentence with a punch to Troy's stomach. "But not now. You fucking raped her, and now it's her or us. You stupid, filthy–"

Gates was cut off as Troy smashed his clenched fist into his face, and the next thing he knew, Gates was on the floor, blood trickling from his mouth and from his nose.

"Don't you ever hit me again," Troy hissed at him, and Gates suddenly sprang up, swinging his fist in Troy's direction. Troy blocked it easily, and punched him again. Then they were at it. A vicious, brutal fight, with both of them determined to hurt the other more than they were hurting. As Troy lunged at Gates again, something rushed by him, but he barely noticed. Gates did.

"Fuck! She's escaping!" Gates pushed Troy away suddenly. "Stop her!" They both sprang to their feet, and Troy looked around, confused. Where was Gabriella? He looked towards the open door, and immediately realised. He and Gates both took off after her, racing through the front door, and into the blistering night air.

He couldn't see her. It was too dark, as it was almost midnight, but they had a full moon on their side, and no clouds, so that was something.

"There she is!" Gates yelled, pointing over to the right, towards the forest. Troy turned just in time to see Gabriella disappear into the darkness of the woods. His feet pounded furiously on the ground as he raced towards the trees in which Gabriella had just disappeared. Gates was right behind him, but Troy had to get to her before Gates did. He needed to find her.

God help him if he didn't.

--

_Run, Gabriella. Just keep running._

The shadows were long and ominously silent all around her. She ran round tree-trunk after tree-trunk, the moonlight dappling through the branches and the leaves above her. The burning pain in her thighs was excruciating and Gabriella couldn't fight the tiny gasps of pain; but still she ran. Whatever happened, she couldn't let them catch her.

Unexpectedly, something sharp stabbed the bottom of her left foot, and Gabriella fell to the floor, crying out, only to bite her lip in attempts to muffle it – but it was too late.

"Over there!" A voice cried behind her; too close behind her. Scrambling up, Gabriella began to run again, her thighs burning in protest as she darted left and right through the endless maze of tree-trunks. Where was she? She couldn't tell. She couldn't see where she was going. Unable to breathe, Gabriella stopped, wheezing desperately. She leant forward, resting against her knees as she begged for the air to return to her lungs.

Leaves rustled and a branch snapped behind her; getting closer.

_Hide, Gabriella!_

She made out the outline of some undergrowth between a clump of trees, and for a second, she considered hiding in it. But, she didn't want to have to lie down. If she did, and she was found, she would never be able to get away in time.

Footsteps approached her from the left, and Gabriella made for the nearest, darkest and thickest tree, and hid behind its trunk. She leaned back against it, trying to merge with it, desperate to disappear.

The footsteps slowed and stopped. And they were so close. Gabriella stopped breathing; she couldn't breathe. She didn't dare.

"Montez, I know you can hear me…" Gates' voice penetrated the darkness, and Gabriella slammed her eyes shut. "We're miles away from anywhere. You'll wander around this forest for days without seeing another soul. No food, no water. Come out now, and we won't hurt you – I promise."

Silence. Moments later, a muffled curse fractured the silence. Gabriella drew in a hasty breath before her lungs burst, and she held it again. The night wind rustled through the leaves all around, making them sound like they were whispering, commenting on what was happening on the ground below them.

"Montez, come out now, and nothing will happen to you." Gates' voice seemed further away now. Or was that wishful thinking? "But if you don't show yourself, and we find you…" The threat hung in the air like the darkness around her shaking frame. Footsteps sounding, moving away from her and Gabriella sighed silently, her feet already moving to head in the opposite direction, only to stop suddenly. She gasped. Troy was standing right in front of her, less than a metre away. And the fear Gabriella felt there, was like a moment spent dying.

"Troy…" she breathed out.

"What was that?" Gates' voice reappeared, and Gabriella's eyes widened even more in fear. She watched as Troy put his finger to his lips, motioning for her to be quiet.

"It's only me," he called out. "I tripped."

"We've got to find her!" Gates' voice was beyond irritated now. But it was getting closer.

"I SEE HER!" Troy yelled suddenly. Gabriella felt tears spring to her eyes as she silently pleaded with him, her heart about to crack.

"What? Where?" Gates sounded hopeful but furious.

"She's trying to double back on us. She must be heading back for the cabin," Troy shouted out into the darkness.

"Fuck!" Was the next thing Gabriella heard, followed by the immediate sound of running. Away from her; away from them. Gabriella stood in shaken silence as Troy stepped towards her, taking her unresisting hand in his, before looking up into the night sky.

"Do you see Orion's Belt?" he asked softly and Gabriella looked up before nodding. Troy then grabbed her cheek, and forced her to look at him.

"Always keep it immediately behind you. When you get to the road, turn left on to it, and keep going."

"Troy…"

"Just go, Gabriella. He let go of her hand and cheek before turning away.

"Troy, we need to talk…" Gabriella tried again, but Troy just shook his head.

"No. Just go."

"Troy…" And then she remembered what had been bothering about the stranger since she'd first seen him. Gabriella grabbed Troy's hand, pulling him back to her. "Wait. That man with the tattoo on his hand, the one who came in with you to see me?"

"What about him?"

"He works for my father." Gabriella revealed. "I saw him a couple years ago at our house."

"Are you sure?" Troy frowned, a look of fury settling in his eyes. They had been betrayed.  
"Yes. I'm positive." Gabriella nodded. "It was him. He works for Dad. He had the same hair, and had the same tattoo on the same hand. I recognized them. It's definitely him." She said, and Troy nodded, smiling ever so slightly.

"Thanks. Now, go." He pulled away from Gabriella, and just as he was about to melt into the shadows, Gabriella lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she buried her neck into his shoulder.

"Gabriella?" Troy sounded confused. Why was she acted so differently now as to when they had been back in the cabin? Gabriella lifted her head up from his neck, before pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

"I love you too, Troy." She whispered against his lips before kissing him once more. Reluctantly, she pulled away, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. She smiled weakly at Troy, and he smiled back.

"Be careful, Gabriella."

"You too. Will I see you again?" she asked shakily, wiping another tear that escaped from her eye.

"I don't know," Troy replied softly, and Gabriella nodded her head, feeling her heart aching terribly.

"Okay…bye, Troy." Sniffling loudly, Gabriella took a few steps back. Troy nodded his head, smiling feebly.

"Bye, Gabs."

Giving him one last wobbly smile, Gabriella turned away from him.

And ran.

--

**.god. Okay – that chapter took freaking light years to write! I'm so nervous about this chapter – the sex scene, and the ending scene in particular. The sex scene was first time I've EVER gone into that sort of detail, but hopefully, I pulled it off. The ending scene is important because it's the separation of Troy and Gabriella – but don't worry, it's not the end.  
I think the next chapter is the last chapter, but there may be two – I'm not quite sure.  
You guys have NO idea how nervous I am about this chapter; so, and I know I've already begged, but please review. I'll cry if you don't ;) **

**That's it for now! I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up. Considering my amount of school work…I'll try and get this chapter up by this time next week. But you never know, if you guys review, it may be up earlier ;)**

**ALSO: If the layout of this story is a little weird – I'm sorry. Microsoft Word on my laptop kinda messed up, and changed the layout of the entire chapter! But, I've tried to get it as back to normal as I could!**

**Peace! xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay – the fifth chapter has arrived! And I THINK that this is the last chapter of the story, but I am not sure; we'll see how it goes.**

**Once again, a mahoosive thanks to those people who reviewed on the last chapter. To me, that chapter was the most important of the story, and I'm so glad that the 15 people who reviewed enjoyed it! I'm hoping that the other 270 people who read the chapter enjoyed it as well, but I have no way of knowing! *get the hint? :P***

**Okay – anywhoo, enough of my ranting :D Enjoy!**

**Love, Hate, Hope**

**Chapter 5**

Hundreds of reporters swarmed around Antonio Montez, each of them pushing and shoving one another in attempts to get closer to the man standing at the top of the steps outside of the Ashdale Hospital. There were so many cameras flashing around him that it looked like a firework display. After allowing the press to take his pictures, Antonio Montez raised his arms, and the excited buzz around him instantly died; but the firework display around him refused to cease.

"I…I will make a short statement, and t-that's it." He briefly wiped his cheeks with the back of his hands before swallowing heavily. "My daughter, Gabriella, is still unconscious after being found this morning. Her doctors describe her condition as critical but stable. The police are with her now, and will interview her the moment she regains consciousness. Acting on the information we received from a reliable source, one of the kidnappers has been arrested, and another one open fired on the police but was killed as a result. No ransom money has been paid. That's all I would like to say at this moment in time." Antonio Montez turned away without another word, and headed back inside of the hospital, ignoring the clamour of questions being thrown at him.

"How many kidnappers were there?"

"Where was your daughter being held during her ordeal?"

"What are the extents of her injuries?"

--

Aaron Gates pressed the mute button on the remote control just as the newsreader's face appeared on the screen. Troy slumped back in the chair, tired and slightly relieved. Gabriella was okay. Sort of.

The two of them were hundreds of miles away from the cabin, having got out of there in a hurry once it had become clear that they had 'lost' Gabriella. They were holed up in one of the rooms in a sordid bed-and-breakfast hotel, with one double bed for Gates, and a sleeping bag on the floor for Troy. The walls looked like they hadn't seen a lick of paint in the last three generations and the windows and fittings were old and caked with grease. As Troy stared at the ground, he came to the conclusion that there had once been a pattern on the carpet, but it was so worn and battered that it was impossible to tell what the pattern might've been. Not that he had much time to dwell on the surroundings as Gates was all too ready to beat the crap out of him – at the very least – but that was until Troy had told him about what he had learnt about Dennis Cooper.

"Where did you get this information from?" Gates asked, peering out of the grimy window.

"Gabriella," Troy replied, and at once, Gates turned around to look at him sceptically.

"And it never occurred to you that she could have been lying?"

"She wasn't," Troy replied, his eyes firm, sincere.

"How can you be so sure?" Gates didn't sound convinced. Sighing, Troy stood up from the grotty armchair in the corner, stretching.

"Because I've known her my entire life. If she says Cooper works with her dad, then he does. Besides, she volunteered the information; it wasn't like I forced her to tell me anything."

"She only said it because she wanted us to be paranoid about each other," Gates responded scornfully. "Dennis Cooper isn't a traitor; he's the fucking General's second-in-command!"

"Then tell me this. How did the police know where each of you was going to be when you went to set up the telephone relay and pick up the ransom? We set different locations for everyone precisely so that wouldn't happen. Only four people knew our plans apart from Cooper. One is dead; one is captured, and us two are here in this shit-hole, up to our armpits in danger. So you explain that then?"

Gates gave Troy a long look before running a hand over his face, his expression serious and thoughtful. At least Troy had him thinking.

"You said that you changed your position at the last minute?" Troy continued. "So you didn't have a chance to tell Cooper what you were doing, and I bet that's the only reason you're here to talk about it now. Cooper betrayed us, Gates. Gabriella was right."

"But she can't be…" Gates couldn't believe it. He refused to believe it. Troy watched him think for a moment before he remembered something else.

"Cooper kept whispering too me that Gabriella wasn't to leave the cabin alive. I think that's because he knew she recognized him. He ordered for me to kill her first and ask questions if anyone came to the cabin. But if I'd done that, I wouldn't have made it out of there alive." Troy finished, and Gates was silent as he considered everything he had been told. It took a while for Troy to convince him but, in a way, Michaela being arrested and Mitchell being killed finally did it for him. The police must've known their plans to have been able to round up two of the group. And Dennis Cooper must've told them. No-one else could've.

"I'll find him even if it takes the rest of my life." Aaron Gates was spitting mad now. "And when I do, my hands and his throat are going to make long and painful contact."

The two of them discussed various ways of stopping Cooper from betraying them or anyone else in the future but the problem was, they had no proof. And you didn't go round accusing the General's second-in-command of being a traitor without proof, not if you wanted to live to a reasonable age.

"Anyway," Gates said, his expression now stony. "We have a more pressing problem here. Like the fact that you raped the fucking prisoner! And because of that, on top of everything else, we'll never be able to settle in one place long enough to figure out what we're going to do next," he said grimly. "They are never going to stop looking for us."

"I didn't rape her," Troy hissed through gritted teeth.

"So you say," Gates sneered. "But here's some free advice; if you can't keep your trousers on, don't leave any witnesses next time."

"I didn't rape her," Troy repeated firmly, but Gates expression showed no hint of believing him.

"You shouldn't have done it, Bolton." He said after a long moment of silence. Troy closed his eyes briefly and turned away. Talking to Gates was like banging your head on a brick wall; painful, and you got absolutely nowhere.

"Bolton, I think it would be better if we went our separate ways for a while," Gates said carefully. "Together, we'll be much easier to track down. We should fend for ourselves for say, six months and then meet up at a pre-arranged time and place."

"Good idea," Troy responded, slumping back into the armchair.

"We'll meet up on your birthday, and you're not to go blabbering about Dennis Cooper in the meantime," Gates warned. "If he suspects we're on to him, he could have other cells of the SF pick us off one by one before we can do anything about him." Gates pinned Troy with a hard look, and Troy nodded in understanding.

"I get it. I won't say a word." The two of them fell silent again, and Troy stared at his hands, unable to stop himself from remembering the way Gabriella's body had felt beneath them…

"You do know that we'll be lucky if we survive a month without being wiped out by our own side, or by the police, don't you?" Gates muttered darkly, eventually breaking the silence. "Cooper has probably got the word out that we are to be…eliminated."

Troy nodded his head grimly. He'd figured that out himself. Troy watched as Gates sighed deeply before standing up, his expression dismal.

"I'm going now, Bolton." He said at last, and Troy stood up, facing him. "We'll meet up again on your birthday, but in the meantime, just…keep a low profile, alright?" Troy nodded his head before Gates continued. "And even though you and I both know that there is a possibility we might not meet up again, I've got some free advice for you, Bolton." Gates paused to pin Troy with a look so hard, he looked almost brutal.

"And that is..?"

"Stay away from Gabriella Montez."

"I…of course, I–"

"Stay away from her, Bolton," Gates interrupted. "Or she is going to be the death of you; literally." And with that, Gates slapped Troy on the back, before slowly walking out of the hotel room, shutting the door firmly behind him.

Troy stood in silence before crossing the room to window just in time to see Gates pull his hood over his head and crossing the road, before disappearing all together.

Now what?

--

Not again! Gabriella only just made it to the bathroom, collapsing with her head over the toilet bowl before she brought up what felt like most of the acid in her stomach. It was only eight o'clock in the morning, and she had only just woken up, so her stomach was completely empty. And vomiting on an empty stomach was so much worse than vomiting on a full one. The acid from her stomach burnt her nose, and left her mouth tasting bitter and nasty. What was up with her?! This was the seventh time she had woken up like this; and she had no idea why.

Once she was absolutely sure she could stand up without keeling over, Gabriella cautiously rose to her feet. She brushed her teeth for at least five minutes but she still felt wretched. Slowly, she made her way out of her room, and down stairs, feeling very sorry herself. As if everything that'd happened to her in the last seven weeks wasn't enough, now she'd caught a stomach bug. Great.

The last seven weeks…

After she had regained consciousness and had woken up in a hospital bed, it had seemed like every doctor in the northern hemisphere had prodded and poked her and given her test after humiliating test until Gabriella felt more like a specimen in a lab than an actual human being. And the police hadn't made things any easier, oh no. They'd asked her question after embarrassing question; especially about what her kidnappers had done to her.

"Whatever happened, you mustn't feel it was your fault. You were powerless. You can tell us _everything_ that happened, we'll understand…" The policewoman had smiled and hugged and tried to get Gabriella to confide in her until all Gabriella had wanted to do was slap her senseless. The policewoman had interviewed Gabriella in a room with a huge mirror on one of the walls. When ever Gabriella had refused to give an answer, the policewoman would sneak little glances at the mirror. Seriously? Did the woman think Gabriella was stupid? She knew a one-way mirror when she saw one.

Gabriella had nothing to say to them; to anyone. Nothing at all to say about her 'ordeal' at the cabin; not one single word. She didn't even want to think about it. It hurt her head and broke her heart and stung her eyes just to think about it. Not the kidnapping so much, although that had been enough, but…Troy. Gabriella couldn't bear to think about him; and yet every thought she had, it always seemed to find its own way back on to him. Troy was never out of her mind and it was driving her crazy.

Gabriella entered the kitchen and made herself some dry toast and a very weak blackcurrant tea. It helped a bit; a very little bit.

"Oh, there you are," Taylor McKessie entered the kitchen to sit opposite Gabriella at the breakfast bar. Taylor McKessie was one of Gabriella's closest friends, and had been asked to stay in the house with the family whilst Gabriella 'recovered'. "How are you feeling today?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes, but replied nonetheless.

"I'm fine apart from this stupid tummy bug."

"You've been sick the last couple of mornings, haven't you?" Taylor frowned.

"How do you know?"

"Well, you aren't exactly quiet, and I usually hear you swearing at the toilet," Taylor said, raising her eyebrows, ever so slightly amused. Gabriella merely shrugged and took another bite of her toast.

"Gabs, when are you going to talk about what happened?" Taylor asked, her tone laced with sorrow but Gabriella could detect the annoying curiosity hidden beneath the words.

"Never," she replied, taking another bite of her toast, not missing the frown on Taylor's face.

"You shouldn't bottle it up inside…" Taylor reached over the table to try and clasp one of Gabriella's hands, but Gabriella snatched it up.

"Back off, Taylor," she snapped. "My being kidnapped has nothing to do with you so just leave me alone."

"What are you on about? I'm worried about you, Gabs."

"Bull shit! Everyone I know has been pressing to get information out of me, and they're all wasting their time. I'm not saying a single word."

"What happened out there?" Taylor asked softly, ignoring the way Gabriella's mocha eyes flashed dangerously.

"Nothing happened! I was kidnapped; but I escaped. There, now you know just as much as I do!" Gabriella viciously chewed the last piece of toast and swallowed it down with a sip of rapidly cooling fruit tea.

"Gabs, are…are you pregnant?" Taylor's sudden words had Gabriella choking on her drink, and she patted her chest furiously in attempts to clear her airways.

"What the hell, Taylor?! What are you talking about? Of course I'm…not…" The words trailed away into nothing as Gabriella stared at her friend in a daze.

"So you could be?" Taylor asked grimly. "Who was it? One of the kidnappers?"

"But…I can't be…pregnant…I _can't_ be…" Gabriella whispered aghast, her eyes wide and staring into thin air.

"Who was it, Gabs? You can tell me. I won't tell anyone, I promise." Taylor got no reply as Gabriella sprang from her chair, and raced from the kitchen, hoping that if she ran fast enough, she would be able to escape from Taylor's words, and the horrible realisation she had just made.

--

"Come on, Gabriella!" Gabriella hissed to herself as she paced around the bathroom. "The pregnancy test doesn't work unless you actually use it! Just do it." Staring incredulously at the pink box in her hand, Gabriella swallowed heavily before opening the lid, and warily pulled out the white stick and the instructions. Gabriella read the leaflet and nodded. It seemed straightforward enough. **"**_**One indicator stick included. Just add urine." **_Taking a deep breath, Gabriella followed the instructions which she thought was ridiculous because she wasn't pregnant.

She couldn't be; not now…not like this.

Placing the now-wet indicator stick on the top of the toilet cistern, Gabriella turned her back sharply and began to wash her hands. Now, all she had to do was wait; just one minute to go.

_Montez, if it stays white you're not pregnant. You'll have ducked a bullet, and no-one will ever need to know. But if it's blue…_

It was the longest minute of her life. Gabriella sat down on the closed toilet lid, her back to the indicator stick as she counted to sixty. She stopped at fifty-nine, unable to think of the next number, never mind say it.

"Relax, Montez. You're _not_ pregnant." Gabriella whispered to herself, unable to turn around. "Just because you've been a bit sick in the mornings…that doesn't mean anything. It's just a delayed reaction to everything that's happened in the last few weeks. That's all." Steeling herself, Gabriella turned around, with her eyes firmly shut. She opened her eyes slowly but didn't need to pick it up. She could see its colour very clearly.

_Oh hell._

--

He had nothing; not even the SF. And there was still three months to go before he could meet up with Gates again.

Sometimes, when it's late and he's sleeping alone in a room, or rough on the streets, Troy would look up at the moon or at one of the stars and imagine that at that precise moment, _she_ is looking at the very same thing.

_Why did she cry? I guess I'll never know. I doubt I'll ever see her again._

He'd finally figured it out. He's dead. He died along time ago and woke up in hell without even realising. Thinking about it, Troy figured he must've died the day his uncle did. That's what happened. And he knows he's right.

--

There came the lightest of taps at the door, and Gabriella quickly wiped her eyes and jumped off of her bed to sit at her dressing table. The first thing she picked up was a brush, and Gabriella hastily began to comb her long dark tresses.

"Come in," she said at last, and the bedroom door slowly opened to reveal Taylor standing there. She entered the room and closed the door quietly behind her; Gabriella watching her through the mirror on the dressing table. Taylor had been watching her strangely the past few days. Or had it been the past few weeks?

"Gabs, are you okay?" Taylor asked at last, and Gabriella rolled her eyes, not once ceasing her combing.

"Is that why you came in here? To ask me that?" She frowned as she saw Taylor nod her head.

"Well, I'm fine. Now stop asking me that," Gabriella snapped, her brushing becoming more vigorous.

"I'm worried about you," Taylor responded, sitting on the bottom of the bed.

"Well, you're wasting your time, Taylor. I've already told you. I'm brilliant, marvellous, fan-fucking-tastic and I've never felt better in my life. So you can back off now." Gabriella slammed the brush to the surface of the table before taking a deep breath.

"If you're feeling so brilliant, why haven't you gone back to school?" Taylor asked cynically, causing Gabriella to huff impatiently.

"Because I don't want people pointing their fingers and whispering behind my back and feeling sorry for me," Gabriella responded and Taylor pinned her with a sceptical look.

"Then why do you always look like you've just stopped crying or you're just about to start?" She asked, her eyebrows raised. Gabriella clenched her jaw before standing up and walking over to the wardrobe throwing it open, looking for a distraction.

"Also, why have you taken to wearing leggings and baggy t-shirts and jumpers?" Taylor asked, and Gabriella exhaled noisily. She was really beginning to lose it now.

"Taylor, what's the matter with you? Since when have you been the least bit interested in what I wear?" Gabriella turned around to face her friend who was now sitting there with a look of realisation plastered across her face.

"You _are_ pregnant, aren't you? The t-shirts and jumpers are just to hide the fact that your pregnancy is starting to show!"

"No, they're not. I'm only wearing them because…because…" And just like that, Gabriella burst into tears, sinking to her knees whilst burying her head in her hands. Taylor was immediately at her side, her arms wrapped tightly around Gabriella's shaking form.

"Oh, Gabriella, you idiot! Why didn't you just come right out and say so? I could've helped you; we all could've helped. Why do you always want to do things the hard way?!" Taylor rubbed a consoling hand up and down Gabriella's back.

"Tay, I don't know what to do," Gabriella sniffled. "I've thought and thought and there's no way out."

"Ignoring your growing stomach isn't going to alter the fact that you're pregnant," Taylor said exasperated. "What were you thinking?"

"It's all right for you," Gabriella snapped angrily. "You're not the one who's pregnant; I am!" Gabriella pulled away from Taylor's arms, and walked out onto her balcony, staring off into the distance.

"You're going to have to tell your mother." Gabriella whirled around at Taylor's words, a look of disbelief etched into her features.

"Are you crazy?!"

"Gabs, sooner or later she's going to find out for herself; and even if you manage to hide your entire pregnancy, how are you going to hide a _baby_?" Taylor asked dubiously.

"I don't know," Gabriella replied dejectedly. "I haven't thought that far ahead."

"Well, you'd better start."

"Tay, promise me you won't say a word to anyone," Gabriella begged and Taylor cringed uneasily.

"But Gabs…"

"Please. Promise me. I will tell my mom, but it has to be in my own time and in my own way. Okay?" Gabriella desperately searched Taylor's face and after a moment or two, Taylor sighed in defeat.

"Fine, I promise. Just don't leave it much longer otherwise I might change my mind." She murmured, and Gabriella nodded her head gratefully. She'd bought herself a few more days, possibly a few more weeks. Taylor and Gabriella stood in silence for a moment, before Taylor asked yet another question.

"Do you want to talk about what happened with the kidnappers?"

Gabriella shook her head.

"I take it the father is one of them?"

Gabriella didn't answer and giving up, Taylor left the balcony and headed towards the bedroom door. Just before she left, she turned back to Gabriella who was still standing on her balcony.

"Well, just remember, if you finally want to talk, my bedroom is just down the hallway. Okay?"

"Okay." Gabriella replied softly, and Taylor smiled briefly before leaving the room. As soon as the door was shut, Gabriella flung herself onto her bed, weeping like she had only just discovered how to do it.

All of her plans had turned to ashes and dust. All of her dreams and schemes for the future had turned into…a baby.

--

"What about you, Troy? What would you do with all the money in the world? The question sounded innocent, but to Troy, it hit a tender spot. He had no money. He'd lost it all the following months after his parents and little sister had died due to bad weather and a drunk driver.

Vinny must've seen from Troy's expression what he thought of the question. Troy clenched his jaw, and turned back to his work. Four months had passed since…since the kidnapping, and Troy was working as a mechanic over a hundred miles from his home. The cold February evening was already getting dark, and the heating in the garage had been turned right up, but it was still chilly. Even though the work was brain numbingly boring, Troy was thankful for it as it stopped him from brooding all day, every day.

"So, do you not have any dreams – or are you too good to share them with us?" Vinny teased lightly. Troy looked up from his work again, forcing a smile.

"I don't like to dwell on what I'll never have," he shrugged before once again, turning back to his work.

"You never know," Vinny replied before throwing a grimy cloth at Troy. "So what would–"

"Shush! _Shush!_" Troy hissed at him, sprinting over to the workbench to turn up the volume on the radio; something in the news had caught his attention.

"…_has refused to confirm or deny that his daughter, Gabriella Anne Montez, is pregnant, and that this is the result from her ordeal a few months ago at the hands of her kidnappers. We can only speculate as to what this poor girl has been subjected to at the hands of the men who abducted her. Gabriella herself has so far refused to speak of her three terrifying days in captivity, the memories being obviously too painful, too shocking too–"_

"Hey!" Vinny was staring at Troy aghast, and Troy had no idea why until he saw the radio lying on the floor, smashed into pieces where he'd thrown it against the wall.

"I've got to get out of here," Troy mumbled before heading towards the exit. Vinny stood rooted to the spot, watching Troy as their boss came running out of the office.

"Bolton! Where the hell do you think you're going?" He called after him, but Troy didn't look back.

"I've got to leave."

"Oh no you don't."

"Watch me!" Troy yelled behind him, breaking out into a jog.

"If you go out of that door, don't bother coming back!"

Troy carried on running.

--

Maria Montez sat down beside her daughter of the plush sofa in the living room as Antonio paced up and down in front of them. Slumping backwards against the back of the sofa, Gabriella turned to glare at Taylor who was standing hesitantly in the doorway.

"So much for your promises," Gabriella mumbled bitterly. At least Taylor had the grace to be embarrassed and look away, unable to meet Gabriella's deathly glare. Silence fell and Gabriella turned back to see her father stop pacing, turning to face her.

"What we have to do," Antonio began, "is deal with this…situation as quickly and discreetly as possible."

"It's for the best, honey." Maria picked up one of Gabriella's hands, and patted it gently.

"We've already booked you into a clinic for tomorrow afternoon," Antonio said, "By tomorrow evening, you'll no longer be pregnant, and we can put this whole crisis behind us."

"I know it's hard, sweetie, but it's definitely for the best," Maria agreed softly.

"Wait…you want me to have an _abortion_?" Gabriella asked, her face aghast.

"Well, you don't want to keep it, do you?" Maria responded, puzzlement laced in her voice. "The child of a raping kidnapper?"

"Of course she doesn't," Antonio cut in brusquely, turning to Gabriella. "You should've told us, princess. You should have told us what they did to you. We could've sorted this out so much sooner, and avoided all of the press speculation."

"I'll even take you to the clinic myself, sweetie," Maria said gently, trying to dredge up a smile from nowhere.

"We'll both go," Antonio stated. "This time tomorrow, it will all be over. Just leave everything to me and your mother."

"You can hardly be expected to make decisions for yourself or even think straight at a time like this," Maria spoke softly, tucking a stray curl behind Gabriella's delicate ear. Gabriella remained silent as she looked at her mother and father, their faces eager and not showing the slightest hint of sorrow.

"We're all behind you on this, princess," her father spoke softly. "And once this is all over, we'll go on holiday, and you'll be able to put this all behind you and get on with the rest of your life." Smiling tightly, Antonio bent down to press a kiss to Gabriella's forehead.

Put it behind her…is that what he thought? A quick operation and just like that, her baby would be gone and forgotten? Looking at her father was like looking at a stranger, Gabriella realised. He didn't know her. And what shocked Gabriella was that she didn't even feel sad about it.

"I'm not going to the clinic tomorrow," Gabriella finally spoke, her words slow and deliberate.

"Honey, you won't be alone. We'll be there…"

"Then you'll be there alone because I'm not going."

"Excuse me?" Antonio stared at his daughter in disbelief.

"I'm keeping the baby, Dad." Gabriella didn't cower under her father's gaze. She heard her mother gasp quietly behind her, but she didn't care.

"No you're not," her father replied, his voice raising.

"It's my body and my baby and I'm keeping it."

"Gabriella, be reasonable. You're not being sensible. You're only just eighteen; how can you keep the baby? Everyone will know how it was conceived. You'll be pointed at and scorned and pitied. Is that what you want, Gabriella? Is it?" Gabriella could detect the urgency in her father's words but she just shrugged.

"I want to keep my baby, Dad," she spoke firmly, shrugging of her mother's hand that had landed on her shoulder.

"Sweetie, you'll change your mind tomorrow."

"No I won't." Gabriella told them, her voice strong. "I'm keeping my baby."

--

All the way down to the coast, Troy phoned Gabriella's house using their secret signal from years ago; ring once but hang up after three rings. Ring second time but hang up after five rings.

Troy had no idea if Gabriella was even at the house on the coast or if she had even heard his signals, but that wasn't going to stop him. He needed to see her. He needed to _know. _

It took him a whole day to get back to their home town, and Troy had to wait until nightfall before he could sneak into her garden outside her bedroom window. It was the longest, hardest wait he had ever had to endure, but he was so, so close to her, that he could feel the familiar thrill of excitement rushing through is body. Just a little bit longer, now. Troy didn't want to comprehend that she may not even be there, or even want to talk to her. A world of doubt and fear stretched between the two of them, and sneaking into her garden at night as a suspected 'terrorist' was the stupidest thing Troy had ever done. But even so, there was no way Troy was going to reconsider his actions.

He had to see her. He _was_ going to see her.

--

He was out there. Gabriella didn't have to see him to know that he was out there. He was down in the garden, just below her window. She could _sense_ him.

Gabriella's whole body was tingling. Her mouth was dry, and her stomach was flipping over like a pancake. She could feel the baby nudging her stomach for the first time. Did that mean the baby could sense him as well?

What should she do? What if he says the same thing her mother and father did? What if he doesn't want the baby?

_Go and see him, Gabriella. You owe yourself that much. You owe him that much. Just go and see him. _

Taking a deep breath, Gabriella crossed the room to her bedroom door to lock it, before heading towards her balcony door. Hesitating on the handle for a moment, Gabriella silently opened the door; the chilly evening air enveloping her petite frame.

Slowly, with her heart beating ferociously in her chest, Gabriella stepped out onto the balcony.

--

The garden hadn't changed a bit since he was last here – a lifetime a go. There was still there towering tree that stood lonesome by Gabriella's balcony; the same one Troy had climbed that night when he had snuck into Gabriella's room. There was still the pond hidden in the corner of the garden, and the roses that his mother had adored where still growing proudly.

Troy had snuck past the three guards, and was now kneeling behind a bush beneath the balcony. Was Gabriella even in the house? Was she even here? She could've returned to her school abroad for all he knew–

"Troy?" The merest whisper came from above him but it was enough. His head snapped up to the balcony, his racing heart suddenly stopping at the magnificent sight before him. Gabriella was standing on her balcony, her midnight hair moving softly in the gentle breeze.

"Gabriella..?"

"Shush!" Gabriella whispered urgently. "Come up here." Troy didn't need telling twice. Immediately, he sprang from his hiding place and into the tree, climbing nimbly through the branches until he swung over the railing of the balcony, landing with a faint 'thud'.

Gabriella was now standing less than a metre away. Seeing her again was like…a bolt of lightning striking his heart. She looked radiant. Her glowing skin was covered by a deep purple dress, and her hair was slightly shorter, but still hung gracefully around her petite shoulders. But her eyes…they were the same. Her rich chocolate orbs that were glistening with unshed tears dazzled Troy; she was just as perfect as he remembered.

Troy opened his dry mouth to speak, but no words would come. Instead he gaped like a drowning fish.

"You shouldn't have come here, Troy." Gabriella's soft, melodic words broke the silence, her gaze never wavering from his face. "It isn't safe."

"I had to." Was that really his voice, so hoarse and strange? Clearing his throat, Troy tried again. "I had to," he whispered. "Is it true?"

"Yes."

The two of them watched each other in silence for an excruciatingly long moment before Gabriella suddenly stepped forward, and wrapped her arms tightly around Troy's waist, tucking her head underneath his chin. Inhaling her sweet scent, Troy immediately pulled her closer, resting his chin on top of her head.

Gabriella was having a baby. She was having _their_ baby. Troy could hardly breathe for the wonder of it. Even though their baby had been conceived under completely the wrong terms, Troy knew he would never, ever regret what happened between them.

Gabriella shifted in his arms, pulling away from him slightly to look up at him, her beautiful features aglow with happiness.

"Are you really here?" Her voice was quiet, disbelieving. Her mocha eyes raked over his face, desperate to drink in his features, worried he would disappear again.

"Yeah," Troy replied, grinning for what felt like the first time in years. "I'm really here." Swooping down, Troy captured Gabriella's unresisting lips in a tender, yet explosive kiss. As their tongues danced together, Troy felt the last of the ice in his body shatter, never to return. The two of them shared a world of hope, regret and pleasure in that one kiss, until they were both breathless and dizzy. Troy lifted his hands from Gabriella's slim hips to rest them lightly on her slightly rounded abdomen; Gabriella's tiny hands rested on top of his seconds later, her fingers entwining with his. Troy felt a strong surge of electricity race through his body as he felt the tiniest of nudges from inside of Gabriella's stomach.

"Whoa…" he murmured, unable to fathom that _his_ child was growing inside of her; inside of his Gabriella.

"It's pretty amazing, isn't it?" Gabriella asked softly, giggling her musical giggle as another tiny nudge appeared.

"Yeah, it is," Troy replied as he bent down to press a long, toe-curling kiss against Gabriella's beaming lips. As they pulled away, Troy leant his forehead against Gabriella's, inhaling her scent, and finally feeling at peace with himself. Well, except the one niggling question that refused to leave his mind.

"Gabi?" His soft question broke the blissful silence, and Gabriella lifted her head up to meet his gaze.

"Mhmm?"

"A-about that night…"

"Yes?"

"Why did you cry?" Troy needed to know. He had spent so long agonising over that one question, and now, he was about to find out. Gabriella pulled away from his embrace, her gaze dropping.

"Troy…don't ask me that," she whispered, running one hand lightly over her gently swollen stomach.

"Why not? Did I hurt you? If I did, I'm sorry, I nev–"

"Of course you didn't hurt me, Troy. It was magical – you know that."

"Then why, Gabriella. Please tell me," Troy asked imploringly. He held his breath as Gabriella sighed in defeat, lifting her head to meet his gaze full on.

"When we made love, I knew I loved you; that I always have, and that I always will. But, I also realised what you had been trying to tell me throughout all of those years. You're from one end of the social class, and I'm from another, and there's nowhere for us to be, nowhere for us to go where we would be left in peace. If we had gotten together after that night in my room, people would've tried with all of their might to push us apart – my father especially. That's why I cried, and couldn't stop. I was crying for all of the things we might've had, and for all of the things we were never going to have." Gabriella stopped talking, letting out a slight breath. Her glossy gaze held Troy's before he nodded.

"I understand," he said, and he did understand. He had been hurting on the inside for the same thing for most of his life. Gabriella smiled beautifully before looking down again, her face suddenly bashful.

"When you said…" she paused, embarrassed. "You know when you said you loved me? Did…did you mean it? I don't mind if you didn't…" she rushed on. "Well, I do but…I mean…" Her words died on her lips, and she hesitatingly lifted her coy gaze to see Troy grinning at her. He reached forward, clasping onto one of her fidgeting hands, and pulled to him, wrapping his strong arms around her and lacing his fingers together at the base of her spine.

"Hey now," he began, pausing briefly to press a soft kiss to Gabriella's nose. "Of course I meant it, Gabriella. I do love you, and I _know_ I will love you forever." He finished his sentence with an affectionate kiss to her lips, unable to help the mad grin on his lips. Gabriella smiled radiantly in return, her cheeks blushing gently, slightly embarrassed by his loving but slightly corny words.

"I love you too, Troy," she whispered, blissfully accepting another soft kiss Troy dropped on her lips. "I love you so much that I don't want to stay here." Her quiet words had Troy's brow furrowing in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked, stroking on of his hands up and down her back.

"I mean, that if we stay here, we're not going to be able to be together. My father hates you, Troy, and besides, you're wanted by the police, and I can guarantee you that if we do stay here, you're going to be found. And I am _not_ losing you again." Despite her firm words, single tears escaped her eyes, and Troy immediately bent down to kiss them, terminating their paths.

"I don't want to lose you either, Gabriella. And I agree; we can't stay here. That's why I think we should leave. Get away from this place, and just start over. We can finally be together without all of this drama happening around us," He paused to take a breath. "So, what d'you think?"

Gabriella didn't respond verbally. Leaning upwards, she locked her arms tightly around Troy's neck, crashing her lips onto his, pouring everything she felt for him into that one kiss. Tongues met in a passionate greeting, and Gabriella moaned in approval as Troy's hands slid up her back in a gentle caress, before tangling in the ends of her silky hair.

Pulling away breathlessly a few minutes later, Gabriella leant her forehead against Troy's, a glowing smile etched onto her swollen lips.

"I love you," she gasped, "and you're so right. We should leave. Now." Gabriella's smile grew as Troy laughed in disbelief, pulling away from her.

"You serious? You want to leave _now_? But what about your mom and dad?" he asked in uncertainty. Gabriella shook her head, smiling softly.

"Troy…if I tell my parents that I am leaving, they're going to try as hard as they can to keep me from going. They're not going to allow it – especially if I'm leaving with you. And I _don't_ want them interfering with our lives anymore than they have already, so can we _please_ just…leave now?" Troy could detect the slight urgency in Gabriella's voice, and he leaned down to nuzzle his nose softly against her cheek.

"But…I have nothing, Gabriella. And I know I said that we should leave, and I want us to…but I have no money and nowhere to live. We'll have nothing, Gabriella. And, we're going to need money if we're going to raise our baby, and there is _no_ way I am going to condemn you to living a miserable life."

"But it won't be miserable, Troy," Gabriella protested softly. "Sure, it may be a bit hard, but we're used to things being a challenge, and we're strong enough to get through them – especially if we're together. We can both get jobs, and besides, I've got money. Not enough for a life of luxury, but enough for the essentials."

"But, I want to be able to provide you with the best, Gabriella; for you and for our baby…and how am I gonna do that when we're living off the money that was given to _you_ by _your _parents?" Troy sounded dejected as he pulled away from Gabriella, to sit on the edge of her bed. Gabriella followed, kneeling down in front of him, resting her hands on his knees.

"Troy, listen to me. We've waited too long for us to be together, and if we don't take it now, we'll never get another chance. We've been through way too much for this to just go nowhere. And as corny as this sounds," Gabriella smiled softly, leaning forward to press a soft kiss on Troy's denim covered knee. "I've already got the best. You came back for me, Troy. I seriously thought I was never going to see you again after what happened at the cabin; I thought I had lost you. But, you're _here_ in my room right now. I've already got the best Troy, because you _are_ the best." Gabriella stood up, and clambered onto Troy's lap, her arms locking firmly behind his neck. She watched Troy in silence as he thought about everything she had just said. Seconds turned into minutes, and Gabriella was beginning to wonder if he was going to say anything at all.

"Troy?" She spoke softly. "You going to speak anytime soon?" She smiled cheekily as Troy finally lifted his gaze to hers; intense blue clashing with soft mocha. Sighing deeply, Troy nodded his head, a wry smile forming on his lips, his arms lifting to wrap carefully around her waist.

"Fine," he said at last. "Let's do it." Troy's dry smile formed into a proper one as he took in Gabriella's glowing face that was radiating with happiness.

"Really, really, really, really?" She asked, not bothering to hide the disbelieving excitement in her tone. Troy laughed before nodding his head.

"Really." He confirmed, leaning down to seal his deal with a sweet kiss to Gabriella's awaiting lips.

They were finally together; as they should be. Their journey had been excruciatingly long and winding; with each sudden turn bringing an obstacle that had caused suffering and broken hearts. But, at that very moment, with the two of them wrapped up in their well deserved happiness, nothing that had happened in their dark past mattered to them, because they had come together regardless. It had been their destiny ever since they had been introduced into each others lives, and now that they were finally together, they were going to make each step into their future hand in hand, never leaving each others side because that's they are at their strongest.

Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton; together.

Always.

--

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_I know that you're probably wondering where I am and why I didn't tell you in person…but it's so much easier this way because I don't have to see the anger and disappointment on your faces when I tell you that I am leaving. I'm not happy here. I haven't been for ages, and you would've known that sooner if you had taken the slightest bit of interest in my life, but Dad had shown more love for his work, and Mom, you were never around. I know that I've been studying abroad so I'm hardly ever here, but I didn't do that because I wanted to, I did it because __you__ wanted me to; it didn't matter what I wanted. It never did. _

_But now, it does matter what I want. I've spent the last two or so years trying to figure out what it was that I needed for me to be happy. And now I have it; and I have all I need. And if there is the slightest possibility you are actually worrying about me, you don't need to. I'm not going to be alone. I never will be again. I've got the two most important things I need. I've got my baby, and at last, I've got the one person who can give me the love I deserve; I've got my Troy. _

_The main reason why I didn't tell you this in person is because I know you both well enough to know that you would try absolutely everything to make me stay. I know by now that you two are furious, but to be honest, I don't care. Nothing you ever do is going to make me come back. You've kept me away from living a normal life, and I'm sick of it. I want to live my life my own way without you two there making all of my decisions. And even if you do try to look for us, you won't find us. We won't let you. You've caused too much pain in our lives, and you're done. Troy and I have had enough pain to last a lifetime._

_A normal, gracious daughter would now say that she is going to miss her parents. But, I don't think I can. Is that a bad thing? That I won't miss my parents? Well, I guess it's kind of your fault as you were never around for me to really know you. _

_I'm finally washing my hands of this wretched place, and now that I am, I can start to enjoy my life. And I will. I've got everything I need to live the life of my dreams. And to be perfectly honest, and I know how this must sound, but I know my life is going to be so much better now that I haven't got you two to interfere and cause any more pain and suffering._

_So, this is it; my final goodbye. A goodbye that has been long overdue._

_Bye Mom and Dad,_

_Gabriella _

--

**I think that this is probably the most important chapter I have ever written – and if there is a time to review, it would be now. Seriously. I so desperately need to hear your thoughts as I am drastically freaking out right now. Do you think the letter from Gabriella was too harsh? Given everything she has been through, and the lack of love and support from her parents, it sounded okay to me – but that's just my opinion!! PLEASE let me know what you think.**

**Now, this is the last ****main**** chapter. There will be a one more tiny chapter after this because, I think what I've written for it is the perfect way to end this story. But after that one tiny chapter, there'll be no more. It'll be finished.**

**So I'll say all of my 'thank yous!' now. First off, I want to mention Dani again. If it hadn't been for our talk ages ago, this story probably would not have happened – and so I am SO incredibly grateful for your support, Dani! **

**And to every single person who read **_**and**_** reviewed my story – I love you all! I absolutely adored hearing what you guys thought; your comments make me deliriously happy. So, to each and every one of you, I send a huge hug and a very loud 'THANK YOU!' **

**And of course, I do love you guys who took the time to read, even if you didn't leave a review. I'm hoping you liked it! **

**Ah, so, that's it. Be sure to check out the next chapter that will be out shortly after this one is posted. It will most likely be tomorrow. But only, of course, if you review!!! ;)**

**One last thank you to you all – Thank you! *blows kiss***

**Review? x **


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, here's the teeny tiny chapter I promised!!**

**Thanks again for all of your fabulous support guys!!! ***_**mwah!**_*****

**Love, Hate, Hope**

**Epilogue**

_**Birth Announcements**_

_In the early hours of 18__th__ July at Mercy Community Hospital, recently engaged Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world._

_Isabella Mae was born at 2:38 am yesterday morning after a long and tiring labour of almost eleven hours. Isabella is a beautiful and healthy baby of 6lbs and 7oz. Both Gabriella and baby Isabella are doing fine; they're catching up on some well earned sleep! _

_The parents, Gabriella, 18 and Troy, 19, wish for it to be known that their daughter will be taking her father's name of Bolton as they are planning on their small scale wedding taking place in the autumn._

_Best of luck to the both of them!_

--

**I did say it would be short! I know it was a bit pointless, but I thought it was the perfect way to end this story :)**

**Thank you to absolutely everyone who read this story, and just a quick thing; before I started to write '**_**Love, Hate, Hope**_**,' I began another story called '**_**Unfaithful**_**' but I wasn't happy with what I had written so I am no longer going to be carrying on with it. But, I have got another story planned, but unfortunately, it's going to be a one-shot…well, a possible two-shot. We'll see!**

**Thanks again everyone!! **

**ShineyStar xoxox**


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